How to choose a secure password

Your password is the key to the entirety of your Self-Custody account. Make sure it is secure and never share it with anyone. Learn how to choose a secure password.

What you should consider

  • Length: The longer the password, the more difficult it is to guess or crack. Your Self-Custody password must contain at least eight characters, one upper case, one number and one symbol. However, we recommend using a passphrase, the longer version of an password.
  • Various symbols: Adding different types of characters such as upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and special characters to your password will make it significantly stronger.
  • Random selection: Do not use common names or dates that are easy to guess. Choose random letters and numbers instead.
  • Separate passwords: Choose a separate password or passphrase for every service you use. Never use the same access for different accounts. This will minimise the damage in case of a security breach at one of your services. Your other services and client accounts will then remain safe.

What you should avoid

  • Dates: Don't use obvious dates such as your date of birth, wedding anniversary and so on.
  • Names: Don't use obvious names like your username, real name, parent‘s name, pet‘s name, etc.
  • Other: Don't use obvious information like your driver's license number, passport number and so on.

Password manager

A password manager is an encrypted digital vault that stores secure password login information such as your Self-Custody password or your Private Key. This way, you don't have to worry about remembering them. The storage of your passwords through a password manager can be either cloud-based or offline. While storing passwords locally on your device may seem appealing. We suggest a cloud-based storage option that utilises zero knowledge encryption. A benefit of using a cloud password storage solution is that it is device independent, making it less vulnerable and easier to recover. The zero knowledge encryption ensures that you and only you can access your master password. Even if the servers get attacked, your Private Key remains secure. When storing your password with a password manager, we encourage you to use 2-factor authentication. This provides an additional layer of security to your master password. LastPass or Dashlane are often mentioned as the safest password managers currently available.

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