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Topic: [2015-08-08] If you're using a brainwallet, move your coins - NOW! (Read 739 times)

legendary
Activity: 924
Merit: 1000
IMHO humans are not capable to create secure passwords. The time for passwords is over, hardware-based security features like U2F will take over soon. In the meantime I recommend using a password manager and let it create long random passwords which nobody can remember.

If the passwords can be hacked, the same can happen to the hardware-based security features as well. In the next two or three years, I believe that someone will invent a bug which can steal coins from hardware wallets such as Trezor.

That said, the hardware wallets are not affordable to everyone right now. So the vast majority of the Bitcoin users will continue to use passwords.

Trezor is good, but expensive. The U2F is a cheap hardware token like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Plug-up-International-U2F-SK-01-FIDO-Security/dp/B00OGPO3ZS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_421_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E0VYC3YY6MQX1DRWT7M

Nobody said that hardware-based security is not hackable, but you can protect against some known attack vectors with it. The grade of security a hardware device offers you can be measured, the same cannot be said about human-created passwords.
full member
Activity: 199
Merit: 100
in the end, you only find the beginning
a simple search like "is brainwallet secure?" should pull up enough results to scare you away for good.

thats the problem, if people never read do you think people will search for info?

of course, there's no cure for laziness or stupidity

exactly Tongue
legendary
Activity: 3808
Merit: 1219
IMHO humans are not capable to create secure passwords. The time for passwords is over, hardware-based security features like U2F will take over soon. In the meantime I recommend using a password manager and let it create long random passwords which nobody can remember.

If the passwords can be hacked, the same can happen to the hardware-based security features as well. In the next two or three years, I believe that someone will invent a bug which can steal coins from hardware wallets such as Trezor.

That said, the hardware wallets are not affordable to everyone right now. So the vast majority of the Bitcoin users will continue to use passwords.
legendary
Activity: 1456
Merit: 1010
Ad maiora!
I agree with what dsattler said

also, brainwallet has been rife with security flaws and problems for ages.

use your google

a simple search like "is brainwallet secure?" should pull up enough results to scare you away for good. such as this gem "Brainwallets make the Blockchain a public password hash database"  Shocked

of course, there's no cure for laziness or stupidity

tsk tsk tsk
legendary
Activity: 924
Merit: 1000
IMHO humans are not capable to create secure passwords. The time for passwords is over, hardware-based security features like U2F will take over soon. In the meantime I recommend using a password manager and let it create long random passwords which nobody can remember.
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1014
In Satoshi I Trust
If you're using a brainwallet, move your coins - NOW!

On August 7th I will be giving a talk at DEF CON about cracking brainwallets. As part of that talk, I will be releasing a fast[1] brainwallet cracker. I'm writing this post to provide a little insight as to why I'm giving away a tool that could be used to steal. I also hope that people who are currently using brainwallets will take notice and move to a more secure storage method.


https://rya.nc/defcon-brainwallets.html

http://de.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3g7bpa/brainwallet_shut_down_permanently_due_to/
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