Crypto Security Beyond the Wallet, Stop and Search Risks

[Queen uloma]

When we are talking about cryptocurrency security most of our attention goes to protecting our  seed phrases, private keys, devices from hackers, wallets and scammers. But there’s another side of security that we need to pay more attention too, most especially as crypto users in Nigeria. I’m talking about our physical safety during stop and search encounters.

Just imagine security operatives or thieves stops you on your way to the house, and during their search, they discover that you have cryptocurrency on your phone. What will happen next? Can you be able to handle such situation without putting yourself or your funds in danger?

Compared to traditional bank accounts where financial institutions can help address some security issues, cryptocurrency transactions are usually irreversible. If someone have  access to your wallet and transfer your funds, it will be very difficult to recover them.

I have some important questions to ask, which are:

How can we protect our digital assets during unexpected encounters with security operatives?

Is it  good for crypto users to avoid keeping sensitive wallet information easily  accessible for their everyday phones?

How can we balance our right to financial privacy with lawful security checks?

Personally for me, I think crypto security is suppose to go beyond protecting our wallets from online threats. We also need to understand how to protect ourselves physically, always be calm during security encounters avoid exposing sensitive financial information carelessly.

What’s the essence of securing our digital assets if we can’t consider the physical risks that can expose them.

[Orpichukwu]

Because of cases like this, there is a feature which some wallets have, like a blue wallet which is also open source. That feature is that you can set up a second password which can secure the wallet aside from the main access password, and when you are in such a situation, you can put in that password, and it will log you into a different wallet from where your funds are.

Another thing is if you are living in a country with poor security, you can always remove or hide your crypto-related wallets from your phone and let them only be available when you want to spend from them.

[Churchillvv]

Perhaps this is came about as a result of insecurity in the country, if we weren’t in this country then this wouldn’t have been much of an issue. Firstly our security operatives are now more likely the criminals just putting on uniforms and with a license to operate on broad daylight, we wouldn’t have been in such situations.

However, my resolution is always make calculated moves; firstly have a backup phone with usually should be an Android device, that can perform several functions or task at the same time. With that you can have a dual user interface where you can switch users with a single or multiple taps. Like in some android phone settings you can press power buttons a number of times and it will switch users, and log you into another user where you would not have your crypto related information in and that probably looks less like you use the phone often.
With that if you encounter the security operatives you can make it out without them seeing other details.

Another is to keep the phone or the device which your wallets are in at home or where it cannot be reached, you only move around with your regular and free device.

Have enough funds for you daily movements so you don’t have to access your wallet where you are to do anything crypto related in public.

That’s all I can think of but however remember you can’t always be too careful.

[BIT-BENDER]

Firstly I have to say you should pray not to be in such situation regardless of if you use Crypto-currency or the banking system, because not even your bank can save you when you are held hostage, if the attack Is within the limit of what your banks allows you to withdraw then you are most likely losing that funds especially if the criminals know what they are doing.

The best and easy way is to have a cold wallet, an offline device that you don't carry along, even if you don't want to use cold wallet storage you can have a main wallet that won't be mobile but kept at home or somewhere else.

[Merit.s]

It's good to have a different device for your crypto activities and for surfing the internet for proper safety of your funds from both online hackers and physical security men or thieves. If you're going out only go out with the phone that you're using to surf the internet. If you need any funds, you should make your transactions before leaving the house.

This is how I understand it and practice it in my daily life.

[ZeroVinsonN]

It's a terrible situation we are in right now that we now see our own security operatives as risky elements when talking about crypto because when they are supposed to protect life and property they are not supposed to be the ones threatening our lives due to our properties.

If your assets are stored in an exchange then it probably doesn't even matter if you have the device on you or not especially when you encounter kidnappers who are willing to hold you a while, most times people will start confessing about what they have in order to get their freedom, chances are that you will be the one telling them you have so so and so in your wallet/exchange and that if they just let you use your phone you will download the app, log in and transfer the crypto to them. I've even heard of a situation where someone was begging their kidnapper to give them the kidnappers phone so they can log in to their bank app and send them money from there (as dumb an idea as it is) so there is really nothing stopping a crypto owner from doing the same thing.

Also I feel like we've talked about something like this recently here on the local board, like 2 months back at most if I'm not mistaken.

[Chinesebaby]

How can we protect our digital assets during unexpected encounters with security operatives?

Bitcoin is not the only currency that is been exposed to physical risk. So the best thing you can do yourself is to be at the right place at the right time. And in a situation where you happen to have an encounter with our Nigerian police or any of the security agencies who try to force you into transferring your Bitcoin to them,  then its best you follow up with the legal process in court. Because the use of Bitcoin is not prohibited in this country, which means anybody can own bitcoin.

What’s the essence of securing our digital assets if we can’t consider the physical risks that can expose them.

The essence is simple, because it makes you the Boss over your own money, without any bank or third party deciding the maximum or minimum amount you can spend in a day or either a week

However, if you are travelling inter-state journey and you are scared of having law enforcement agencies searching your phone. then its just best you withdraw enough fiat and uninstall those crypro apps.

[ColdLava40]

What’s the essence of securing our digital assets if we can’t consider the physical risks that can expose them.

The best solution would be not having your funded wallet or cryptocurrency holdings on your everyday phone.

It brings a lot of risk, aside from security personnel, you could encounter some threat that would put you and your funds at risk.

That's why sometimes I tell people to just have two devices, the second device should be left at home and it should contain all your cryptocurrency stuffs. And you should only access it when you want o make a transaction.

This device should be different from your long term savings since for that you only have to write down your keys and store on a safe place.

[The Founding Titan]

What’s the essence of securing our digital assets if we can’t consider the physical risks that can expose them.

The best solution would be not having your funded wallet or cryptocurrency holdings on your everyday phone.

It brings a lot of risk, aside from security personnel, you could encounter some threat that would put you and your funds at risk.

That's why sometimes I tell people to just have two devices, the second device should be left at home and it should contain all your cryptocurrency stuffs. And you should only access it when you want o make a transaction.

This device should be different from your long term savings since for that you only have to write down your keys and store on a safe place.

Doing this will definitely protect you from stop and search but since OP included thieves and not just security agents I am going to point out that having a separate device doesn't save your cryptocurrency from a break in and it is something that happens alot in this country so if the thieves met you outside your cryptocurrency would be safe but if they came to your home then having a different device won't make any difference.
I'm wondering if there is really any solid way to protect your cryptocurrency from physical theft.

[Don Saga]

How can we protect our digital assets during unexpected encounters with security operatives?

In a country like Nigeria, it is safe to prepare yourself for the worst even before it happens. I would always advise crypto enthusiasts to save assets on a non custodial wallet as it is easier to save seed phrase offline and delete your apps entirely before making any cross-state travel. I would say that I've being a victim of this stop and search but I cannot open my wallet for them to investigate because that's not their duty, but in the case of theft deleting the app is the best option.

Is it  good for crypto users to avoid keeping sensitive wallet information easily  accessible for their everyday phones?

Of course, it's good to be security conscious at all times, keeping sensitive wallet information safe is best not just for threat against security officers but also against unexpected robbery or theft.

[Emjay24]

Because of cases like this, there is a feature which some wallets have, like a blue wallet which is also open source. That feature is that you can set up a second password which can secure the wallet aside from the main access password, and when you are in such a situation, you can put in that password, and it will log you into a different wallet from where your funds are.

I don't know this feature, but it's interesting though, how is the different wallet established?
Do you create the second wallet beforehand or blue wallet treats your fake password like a passphrase to reconstruct a new set of addresses?

The barest minimum we do here is take advantage of the 2 launchers in our phones and present a launcher that doesn't have our main wallet in so that when they ask you to open your phone, they don't see the wallet on the default launcher and you'll be safe

[Felicity_Tide]

How can we protect our digital assets during unexpected encounters with security operatives?

There's always a risk involved as long as your device is always with you.
When having a personal encounter with security operatives, especially the ignorant ones... The least you can do is to make use of your device's privacy and security features to hide sensitive information including applications, but that might not even be enough because you probably wouldn't know how smart the person you're dealing with is. So, another preventive measure I can agree with is to have a separate device just as others have said

Is it  good for crypto users to avoid keeping sensitive wallet information easily  accessible for their everyday phones?

No, it's not.

How can we balance our right to financial privacy with lawful security checks?

Some law enforcements are way terrible than you think... Just don't take any chances, find ways to keep yourself safe.

[Miles2006]

Firstly I have to say you should pray not to be in such situation regardless of if you use Crypto-currency or the

Exactly my thought, let’s not lie to ourselves. No level of security is enough if anyone is in such tight situation, just imagine these guys with harmful tools and funny enough people who always refuse to open up ends up in a bad situation or death.
Insecurity in Nigeria is really a big deal, the fact is not only about crypto rather these guys go for our phones first, like an experience I encountered last year with police guys. No one is to be trusted, how do stories like crypto robbery get so much popularity? Friends sometimes do some dirty work meanwhile depending only on our phones to secure our crypto is also dangerous.

[Cryptomultiplier]

Firstly I have to say you should pray not to be in such situation regardless of if you use Crypto-currency or the

Exactly my thought, let’s not lie to ourselves. No level of security is enough if anyone is in such tight situation, just imagine these guys with harmful tools and funny enough people who always refuse to open up ends up in a bad situation or death.
Insecurity in Nigeria is really a big deal, the fact is not only about crypto rather these guys go for our phones first, like an experience I encountered last year with police guys. No one is to be trusted, how do stories like crypto robbery get so much popularity? Friends sometimes do some dirty work meanwhile depending only on our phones to secure our crypto is also dangerous.

For one, there's a restriction on police officers going through our phones during any stop and search in this country.
If you find yourself in such a scenario and the road seems quite, please it's good to learn to apply diplomacy and not talk yourself into further complications.

To make it better because only the police isn't a culprit in going through our devices, it's best to use decoy and hidden wallets, use a different device as we leave the one with our assets at home or in a secure location.
Also learn to set your device in a way that notifications from exchanges don't always pop up or in our emails or even tell anyone mostly those that aren't trusted from our guts that we are into cryptocurrency investment.

These are the best ways I know to stay safe out there.

[promise444c5]

Do you create the second wallet beforehand or blue wallet treats your fake password like a passphrase to reconstruct a new set of addresses?

Not  a fake password, it’s just a normal regular password that can be used to encrypt a storage[plausible deniability].. you can have as many as possible storage with each storage acting as a host for any wallet imported/ created inside it.

When you turn on plausible deniability on BW, your first password encrypts your existing storage. After accessing it, add a new storage as decoy[under plausible deniability with a different password].. create or import new wallet(s), send some few sats on the wallet(s) created or imported.. there you go, a less suspicious decoy wallet  .