How can I "protect" my wallet

[FFrankie]

Yeah so that is the question. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would much appreciate it

I am currently using bitcoin core as a wallet. Its on my laptop which I use daily. I have malwarebytes pro and microsoft security essentials (if that matters at all, which I does not think it does)

Is there a better safer wallet? How do people even steal coins from wallets(not looking for a specifc answer here, more like how is it possible since my wallet is on my computer?)


If I put bitcoin core into an encrypted folder would that do anything for protection?

[dothebeats]

Well, since your wallet is on your computer, why not try making a paper wallet and put the majority of your holdings in there and try keeping some coins for spending in a hot wallet (a wallet that is always, or most of the time, connected to the internet) for spending purposes?? In that way, you can be sure that the majority of your coins are kept safely within your reach. There are also the Armory wallet in which your coins may be stored, but based on what I've read, the software is resource-heavy (I don't know, haven't used it yet) so maybe sticking into a paper wallet might save you from hesitations.

[pooya87]

i suggest you look into either paper wallet or offline wallets.
here is wiki for it
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_set_up_a_secure_offline_savings_wallet

[Paraka]

you can download bitcoin wallet to safe your balance

[FFrankie]

i suggest you look into either paper wallet or offline wallets.
here is wiki for it
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_set_up_a_secure_offline_savings_wallet

Ah I will use that now, thank you! But is this 100%secure? I know nothing is. But from the sounds of it, it seems someone would need my copy and password to take the coins?

[LewiesMan]

Use blockchain with 2FA or generate a BIP encrypted paper wallet!

[ColderThanIce]

u could try electrum too, it seems like a good wallet. plus you don't need to download the whole blockchain like you need to with the original bitcoin wallet.

if you want to keep bitcoins in cold storage you could try making encrypted paper wallets too. just make sure to not lose them!

[Passprot]

why dont you try hardware wallet ?
trezor or ledger
more safer

[kpitti]

I am using exactly paper wallet where I put majority of my Bitcoins there. I keep only minimum for spending in my online wallet.

[ajareselde]

Depend on what type of wallet you are using.
Personaly i would avoid online wallets of all sorts for bitcoin balances over 50-100 USD value.
Strongest would be hardware wallet, but its up to you to decide.

I simply have bitcoin client on my pc, but i keep wallet.dat on my thumb drive, excrypted and offline.
To me it seams like the most simple solution, when i need to make some payment , i just take it, make payment, and once again remove it.
While of thumbdrive, i rename wallet.dat to something random, so if i by any chance pick up wallet stealer, it doesnt recognize it.
So far over  9000 bitcoin transactions, and not a single problem.

[HarmonLi]

Long term storage? Use a paper wallet or a trezor (if you can afford one). If you want to spend the coins, using an encrypted BitcoinQT is fine, but only keep as many coins there as you need to. You can sign your transactions offline, as well. That would be 100% safe, if done right.

[dsattler]

If you want top-notch security:

Paper wallet (create offline)
Trezor
Armory (with offline signing on separate PC)

If you want to keep your bitcoin core wallet I recommend that you encrypt your wallet.dat with a really long password, 15 or more random (!!!) characters long. Then there's no need for an encrypted file system. Use a password manager for entering your password in the bitcoin core wallet, I recommend keepass2. It's free, widely used and proven to be reliable and secure. If you activate "2-channel auto-type obfuscation" you should be safe even if you catch a trojan with a keylogger.

[Amph]

password to it, and usb stick, or another pc dedicated only to btc, no browser no dl anything, only for the blockchain, with a different outbound ip of course, so no shared connection

[jbrnt]

I don't feel safe having my wallet on a machine I use daily. I would at least put the wallet on an older machine that Is only for bitcoin. If younhave a lot, consider a paper wallet for cold storage and then a hardware wallet for hot storage. Hardware wallet is great for securing your coins even on a compromised computer.

[odolvlobo]

At a minimum, ensure that your wallet is encrypted and backed up. Bitcoin Core can do both of those.

You can store the wallet offline for additional safety, but then you can't spend the bitcoins.

[Troonetpt]

Yeah so that is the question. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would much appreciate it

I am currently using bitcoin core as a wallet. Its on my laptop which I use daily. I have malwarebytes pro and microsoft security essentials (if that matters at all, which I does not think it does)

Is there a better safer wallet? How do people even steal coins from wallets(not looking for a specifc answer here, more like how is it possible since my wallet is on my computer?)


If I put bitcoin core into an encrypted folder would that do anything for protection?

Cold storage is the best way to keep your coin safe.
And you can spend it by offline transaction.

[ronaldo40]

I just use an online wallet + 2FA and it is very safe and simple in my opinion

[SOAD]

Yeah so that is the question. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would much appreciate it

I am currently using bitcoin core as a wallet. Its on my laptop which I use daily. I have malwarebytes pro and microsoft security essentials (if that matters at all, which I does not think it does)

Is there a better safer wallet? How do people even steal coins from wallets(not looking for a specifc answer here, more like how is it possible since my wallet is on my computer?)

Wallets are only as safe as you are. Personally I'd go with a liteweight client over bitcoin core and make sure I use a computer I know to be safe just for transactions. Look into booting from a linux live CD so your computer is fresh every time.

If I put bitcoin core into an encrypted folder would that do anything for protection?

Yes, but having a password just on the wallet will be fine if your computer is safe, but the best way to protect yourself is to keep your wallet offline. Burn it to a CD or put it on usb stick.

[gkv9]

I don't think I have an answer, but a question to ask to everyone...

Can you guys please let me know that if there is any chance of any private keys either getting leaked or compromised, then how these 2FAs, password and encryption protections are going to help in any means?

[Muhammed Zakir]

I don't think I have an answer, but a question to ask to everyone...

Can you guys please let me know that if there is any chance of any private keys either getting leaked or compromised, then how these 2FAs, password and encryption protections are going to help in any means?

Duplicated r values in an address' transaction history might result in exposing the private key.This happened for transactions in Blockchain.info recently(some weeks ago). It can also be leaked by the infection of wallet stealing trojan or any similar malware or via keyloggers.

AFAIK 2FA would be the best option if your phone isn't compromised. If you can setup a Google Authenticator, that would be the best option as Google Authenticator doesn't need to be online.

I would suggest you to use a paper wallet or hardware wallets(this can also be hacked but chances are very low) or setup an offline wallet.

   -MZ