O Bitcoin has changed the way we transact online, helping users move money around the internet faster and easier. But with these advantages come great risks.
The number of hacks and security threats aimed at stealing Bitcoin funds has increased proportionally to the currency's popularity.
But fear not if you’re a new BTC owner. There are a few things you can do to keep your digital currency safe from hacking attempts. Here are our top Bitcoin security tips for beginners:
1. Stay away from web wallets
One web wallet , also known as a hosted wallet, is a type of Bitcoin wallet that is hosted by a third party. While they can be convenient, not all of them are capable of offering a higher level of security for your stored cryptos.
There have been many cases where web wallets have been hacked and users have lost all their funds.
But if you really need to use one, do your research well and choose the company that can provide the best security measures and only insure a small amount of your funds to limit your losses.
2. Keep your Bitcoin separate
Do not keep all your Bitcoin savings in the wallet you use to spend BTC, as your assets will be vulnerable to attacks or other types of abuse.
It would be ideal to keep most of your Bitcoin funds in your offline wallet. You can have as many wallet addresses as you like, so there's no limit to how many places you can store your cryptos. So you can have one address dedicated to spending or using Bitcoin online and another for storing them safely. If you get a better amount of Bitcoins in your online wallet, transfer them as soon as possible to your offline wallet before hackers have a chance to strike.
3. Store private keys offline
One of the most important security and safety tips for Bitcoin is to always remember to keep your private keys offline and never share them with anyone else. Your private key is the equivalent of your card PIN number that accesses your account.
To improve the security of your Bitcoin wallet , take your private keys and keep them somewhere on a separate computer that does not have an internet connection. By doing this, you can reduce the chances of losing your funds to malware attacks.
5. Use fragmented backups
Even if you have created a backup for your seed, it is recommended that you create more copies of this backup and store them on different sites. When you create a fragmented backup, the seed will be split into six fragments and four of them will be needed to recreate the seed.
This will make it even more difficult for an attacker to gain access to your wallet, as they will first need to find four of the six fragments that have been stored on various sites.
6. Use Linux on online and offline computers
While BTC and private keys are safer on offline devices and wallets, they still need to be connected at some point, even for a brief moment, to the internet when making transfers.
The most secure way to transfer data between online and offline computers is by using a USB drive. Linux is the operating system that has a history of being resistant to any USB, making it ideal for transferring Bitcoin from online to offline computers.
7. Use a hardware wallet
Cold storage is the most recommended method for storing your Bitcoin. This wallet is a USB device that has a built-in computer running on its own special operating system. These devices are virtually immune to hacker attacks due to the storage of private keys on an offline medium.
When connecting a carteira de hardware To an online device, all Bitcoin transactions can be signed using private keys that are held on the hardware. Even if the online device has a malware or virus infection, you can still send your funds securely without them accessing all your important private keys.
Conclusion
This was our article about the main security measures you can implement to keep your Bitcoins safe. We hope that our tips have been useful to you and that they will keep your coins safe for a long time.