Security of Paper Wallets - page 2. | Bitcointalksearch.org

DannyHamilton

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Quote from: kramble on October 17, 2013, 07:09:11 PM

there is no need to install an operating system then wipe the hard drive.

I suppose it all depends on just how paranoid you are and how secure you want to be.

Quote from: kramble on October 17, 2013, 07:09:11 PM

install the dependencies off the web (to the ramdisk that it is running on),

You're not suggesting actually connecting the computer to the internet, right?

Quote from: kramble on October 17, 2013, 07:09:11 PM

Disconnect from the internet

Oh! You are! Sorry, at that point you might as well just run it connected to the internet. Why bother disconnecting?

kramble

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Quote from: Thursday on October 17, 2013, 07:20:20 PM

Speaking of paper wallets can someone explain to me how to download the bitaddress.org wallet generator for offline use?

Go to https://github.com/pointbiz/bitaddress.org (its linked from bitaddress.org), click on "Download Zip" on the right hand side of the page. Copy the zip archive to your offline computer, unzip it and click on bitaddress.org.html.

Thursday

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Speaking of paper wallets can someone explain to me how to download the bitaddress.org wallet generator for offline use?

imrer

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Quote from: kramble on October 17, 2013, 07:09:11 PM

Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 17, 2013, 05:03:33 PM

Note there are several sources of programs that already exist that can generate paper wallets, I simply choose not to trust them.

Even if you don't trust the likes of bitaddress.org, there is no need to install an operating system then wipe the hard drive. A livecd of ubuntu (or some other linux) will do the job perfectly well. Boot it up, install the dependencies off the web (to the ramdisk that it is running on), then compile bitcoind (bitcoin-qt is unnecessary if you are just going to dump the privkey, but it would do the job just as well). Disconnect from the internet, start the daemon and dump your virgin private key(s). Print them off or copy them down by hand then power off and all trace is wiped (though I wouldn't necessarily trust a modern printer not to have some residue of the print job, but perhaps that's taking paranoia too far).

Its not novice-level stuff, but there are howto guides to help out. (And I'm mentioning this because I was doing just this thing today, albeit with Blakecoin rather than Bitcoin, and to a VM rather than a standalone PC, and no, it wasn't quite as straightforward as I'd have liked, the dependencies took some googling to sort out).

Could you please share howto guides that helped you? I'd like to know how to generate paper wallets and then how to use bitcoins from that wallet if necessary.

kramble

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Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 17, 2013, 05:03:33 PM

Note there are several sources of programs that already exist that can generate paper wallets, I simply choose not to trust them.

Even if you don't trust the likes of bitaddress.org, there is no need to install an operating system then wipe the hard drive. A livecd of ubuntu (or some other linux) will do the job perfectly well. Boot it up, install the dependencies off the web (to the ramdisk that it is running on), then compile bitcoind (bitcoin-qt is unnecessary if you are just going to dump the privkey, but it would do the job just as well). Disconnect from the internet, start the daemon and dump your virgin private key(s). Print them off or copy them down by hand then power off and all trace is wiped (though I wouldn't necessarily trust a modern printer not to have some residue of the print job, but perhaps that's taking paranoia too far).

Its not novice-level stuff, but there are howto guides to help out. (And I'm mentioning this because I was doing just this thing today, albeit with Blakecoin rather than Bitcoin, and to a VM rather than a standalone PC, and no, it wasn't quite as straightforward as I'd have liked, the dependencies took some googling to sort out).

flatfly

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760930

Shameless plug for NoBrainr... With just 25 lines of Python code and address generation seeded by /dev/urandom, it's probably the easiest tool to review and analyze, even for non-developers

See signature...

DannyHamilton

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Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 04:29:17 PM

Thank you very much for the details, although not what i wanted to hear Grin

I am working on a "bitcoin based website idea" and will need to be able to generate (not on the website) multiple paper wallets... ideally around 100 a go..... and then input the public keys into the website.
Wiping the Hard Drive will not be required (i dont think) as the PC that generates the addresses would never connect to the internet and will be stored in a very large secure and fireproof safe (i could also encrypt the drive).
(at present i am still working on the website coding, and was assuming that generating multiple paper wallets would be easy.....)

Working with or coding for bitcoin is fun, but extremely testing at times Roll Eyes

...........

Thanks Ford

Note there are several sources of programs that already exist that can generate paper wallets, I simply choose not to trust them.

As long as they are running on a computer that is and will remain offline, you just need to be sure that they are using a sufficiently random source for the private key (that the creator of the program isn't working from some private key generation that they can recreate separately). Some of the solutions available are open-source, so you can review them yourself.

Ford

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Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 17, 2013, 09:47:58 AM

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 16, 2013, 08:37:22 PM

Best? or Easiest?

Ideally both Grin

Unfortunately, the best way isn't necessarily easy. It involves wiping a hard drive, then installing a known good, clean, version of an operating system, then installing some trusted address generating software, then hand writing the addresses and private keys on paper, then destroying the hard drive (or at least making sure it is sufficiently wiped to avoid recovery of data).

There are several choices of offline address generating software out there. I haven't had a chance to check on the code of any of them, so I'm not ready to trust them yet. Others may stop by with their own suggestions of which software they trust. Some of them will generate QR-Codes and print in a nice formatted template. For now, I only trust Bitcoin-Qt.

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

How would Bitcoin-QT create multiple wallets, as i have not worked out how to do this yet

Paper wallets are not exactly user functionality for Bitcoin-Qt, but with some effort it can be done.

Install Bitcoin-Qt on a PC that has NO network connection at all
Click on the "New Address" button in the "receive coins" section
Write the new address down on a piece of paper
Choose "Console" in the "Debug Window" found under the "Help" menu
Enter the following command where bitcoinAddress is the address you wrote down in step 3:
dumpprivkey bitcoinAddress
Write the private key on the same piece of paper

Viola! You now have a paper wallet.

You can delete the installation of Bitcoin-Qt and wipe the hard-drive if you like.

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

+ will i need the full blockchain before i can create a wallet?

No.

Thank you very much for the details, although not what i wanted to hear Grin

I am working on a "bitcoin based website idea" and will need to be able to generate (not on the website) multiple paper wallets... ideally around 100 a go..... and then input the public keys into the website.
Wiping the Hard Drive will not be required (i dont think) as the PC that generates the addresses would never connect to the internet and will be stored in a very large secure and fireproof safe (i could also encrypt the drive).
(at present i am still working on the website coding, and was assuming that generating multiple paper wallets would be easy.....)

Working with or coding for bitcoin is fun, but extremely testing at times Roll Eyes

...........

Thanks Ford

DannyHamilton

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Activity: 3472

Merit: 4794

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 16, 2013, 08:37:22 PM

Best? or Easiest?

Ideally both Grin

Unfortunately, the best way isn't necessarily easy. It involves wiping a hard drive, then installing a known good, clean, version of an operating system, then installing some trusted address generating software, then hand writing the addresses and private keys on paper, then destroying the hard drive (or at least making sure it is sufficiently wiped to avoid recovery of data).

There are several choices of offline address generating software out there. I haven't had a chance to check on the code of any of them, so I'm not ready to trust them yet. Others may stop by with their own suggestions of which software they trust. Some of them will generate QR-Codes and print in a nice formatted template. For now, I only trust Bitcoin-Qt.

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

How would Bitcoin-QT create multiple wallets, as i have not worked out how to do this yet

Paper wallets are not exactly user functionality for Bitcoin-Qt, but with some effort it can be done.

Install Bitcoin-Qt on a PC that has NO network connection at all
Click on the "New Address" button in the "receive coins" section
Write the new address down on a piece of paper
Choose "Console" in the "Debug Window" found under the "Help" menu
Enter the following command where bitcoinAddress is the address you wrote down in step 3:
dumpprivkey bitcoinAddress
Write the private key on the same piece of paper

Viola! You now have a paper wallet.

You can delete the installation of Bitcoin-Qt and wipe the hard-drive if you like.

Quote from: Ford on October 17, 2013, 08:02:30 AM

+ will i need the full blockchain before i can create a wallet?

No.

Ford

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Quote from: DannyHamilton on October 16, 2013, 08:37:22 PM

Best? or Easiest?

I use Bitcoin-Qt running in an offline computer, but Armory is a good idea.

Ideally both Grin

+ i would also need to create multiple paper wallets (all on a PC that has NO network connection at all)
I have read about and installed Armory, but need to take a better look at it.

How would Bitcoin-QT create multiple wallets, as i have not worked out how to do this yet
+ will i need the full blockchain before i can create a wallet?

DannyHamilton

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Activity: 3472

Merit: 4794

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

If i am using a paper wallet to safely store bitcoins in, offline.
And then need to transfer some of the funds held in the paper wallet to another address.
In order to maintain maximum security would i be best to then transfer the remaining funds into a NEW paper wallet?

Yes.

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

Also what is the best way of generating multiple paper wallets

Best? or Easiest?

I use Bitcoin-Qt running in an offline computer, but Armory is a good idea.

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

and can this be done on an off-line pc in order to maintain maximum security?
[/quote

Yes.

Ford

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Quote from: Akka on October 16, 2013, 05:39:08 PM

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

In order to maintain maximum security would i be best to then transfer the remaining funds into a NEW paper wallet?

Yes

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

Also what is the best way of generating multiple paper wallets, and can this be done on an off-line pc in order to maintain maximum security?

I like Amory. Works offline as well.

Thanks Akka

Always good to have my plans confirmed, just in case Wink

Ford

Akka

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Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

In order to maintain maximum security would i be best to then transfer the remaining funds into a NEW paper wallet?

Yes

Quote from: Ford on October 16, 2013, 05:36:50 PM

Also what is the best way of generating multiple paper wallets, and can this be done on an off-line pc in order to maintain maximum security?

I like Amory. Works offline as well.

Ford

full member

Activity: 120

Merit: 100

Hello All

If i am using a paper wallet to safely store bitcoins in, offline.
And then need to transfer some of the funds held in the paper wallet to another address.
In order to maintain maximum security would i be best to then transfer the remaining funds into a NEW paper wallet?

Also what is the best way of generating multiple paper wallets, and can this be done on an off-line pc in order to maintain maximum security?

Best Regards & Thanks
Ford

Topic: Security of Paper Wallets - page 2. (Read 3089 times)