How do you protect your Bitcoins from theft and hacking? 

Although the cryptocurrency industry has only become mainstream in the last decade, it has already spawned a narrative so well-known it's almost a cliché. An individual, or perhaps even a digital exchange office, is the target of a malicious attack. As a result, a large amount of digital money disappears. Hackers seem to disappear into the web's void of anonymity, carrying with them digital assets that are impossible to trace or recover.

KEY POINTS

  • As the cryptocurrency space continues to evolve at an amazing rate, so do the hacking methods used by thieves to steal digital currencies. 
  • Prudent investors should take precautions to protect their cryptocurrency holdings. 
  • One of the best security measures is a cryptocurrency wallet; "Cold Storage" wallets look like USB drives and are not connected to the internet to protect your cryptocurrency contents from attacks. 
  • Security experts advise against holding cryptocurrency holdings on digital currency exchanges.

Cold wallets are key 

Many investors buy a popular digital currency like bitcoin or ether on an exchange just to keep the money on that platform. Digital exchanges take security measures to prevent theft but are not immune to hackers. The best way to protect your investment is by backing up a wallet. There are two main types of cryptocurrency wallets.

Of the two, "cold storage" or "cold wallet" hardware devices are the more secure option. These wallets look like USB drives and act as physical storage for tokens or coins. Since they are not connected to the internet, cold wallets cannot be hacked online. Every hardware wallet comes with a private key: a password-like code that decrypts the wallet and grants access to the coins or tokens stored in it. While hardware wallets are enormously effective against digital thieves, they run another risk: you lose your passkey and you'll never recover the wallet's contents Wallet. 

Other Types of Wallets 

Those who are a little squeamish about trusting a portable or lost device to store digital currency can use secure online wallets instead. Like cold wallets, online wallets tend to have private keys that cannot be recovered if lost, so it is absolutely critical that you keep your private key in a safe place that you will remember. People have taken extreme measures to protect their keys, keeping them in lockers or encrypting them in graphic files. Some users have tattooed their password information. Paper wallets are a particular type of online wallet. They are generated by web platforms such as Bit Address or Wallet Generator. These apps create bitcoin addresses and private keys that can then be printed. Once the paper wallet key is printed, it is removed from the network and online wallet. CryptoHex wallet goes one step further by stamping the key information on a metal strip. Desktop wallets are another option. There is no direct interface between them and the Internet. However, there are viruses that are designed to get information for these wallets from a desktop computer, so these wallets may not be as secure as the options above.

Digital Currency 

Exchange Most cryptocurrency transactions are processed through a digital currency exchange. Usually accessible through a web browser or mobile app, these platforms allow users to buy tokens and digital currencies with another fiat currency or cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency security experts advise against holding holdings of digital currencies on an exchange for two main reasons. First, if the exchange gets hacked, you can lose your holdings.

Secondly, if the exchange shuts down for any reason, you may not have the option to recover your holdings. There is no cryptocurrency equivalent to the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects clients of failed brokerage deals from losses of up to $500,000 per account, including up to $250,000 for cash balances. No cryptocurrency wallet is directly insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which provides up to $250,000 of protection for deposits with qualifying banks and credit unions. Instead, many cryptocurrency exchanges allow customers to keep their U.S Dollar balances in linked accounts at FDIC-insured partner banks. However, this protection does not extend to customers' cryptocurrency balances. To protect their customers' cryptocurrency holdings, exchanges rely on a combination of safeguards and insurance coverage. For example, FTX US says it stores the majority of client's digital assets in cold storage with BitGo Trust, the institutional digital custody specialist that offers up to $250 million in insurance coverage against theft or loss of private keys.  You own. in "warm" or "hot" digital wallets accessible online are covered by the exchange of a $7.5 million "Primary Crime Insurance Policy" from AON Plc (AON), the London-based insurance broker and risk specialist. A digital currency exchange still carries a custody risk. It is all the more important to choose the exchange carefully. Popular digital currencies like Bitcoin, Ether, Cardano, and Ripple are available on a  variety of crypto exchanges. These providers are not all equal when it comes to security; Some due diligence is required on the part of the investor to ensure that they do not take unnecessary risks in the transaction process by trading on an uncertain exchange. 

For other digital currencies, especially those that are less popular or new to the scene, trading options may be more limited. However, if an exchange lacks security or cannot convincingly explain how it protects client funds, it is best to avoid them. Investing in Cryptocurrencies and Initial Coin Offerings (“ICOs”) is very risky and speculative and this article is not a recommendation by Nagricoin or the author to invest in Cryptocurrencies or ICOs. Because the situation of each and every one is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Nagricoin makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained in this document. At the time of writing this article, the author owns Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and Ripple.