Topic: Steelwallets and Airport Security - Potential Exposure Concerns (Read 626 times)

New fear unlocked! I never assumed that a seed phrase would be  possibly read under an airport x machine!
So, OP the previous message is totally a sensible suggestion: seed phrases are nice to be held in a secure place, those are no need to ever be taken out of of that secure place.

If I were you, I wouldn't carry a big steel wallet during my trips. Since you put your seed phrases on a steel wallet, I assume you intended to create a cold wallet, so a cold wallet should be kept in a safe place, not in your pocket during the trip. If you still want to keep some metals, then just create a metal keychain and imprint your wallet's seed phrases. I think no one in the airport can have an issue with that because that's a keychain and it doesn't contain anything illegal, just a few non-offensive words.

This was a hypothetical idea that should not be taken as a guide to action, but demonstrates an alternative way to resolve the issue using a (temporary and not the most secure) way of storing seed phrases. Instead of a laptop, there can be any other device, preferably one that will not be of any interest to either thieves or customs officers.

The choice of carrier for the seed phrase is limited only by your imagination: even encrypt it in the form of a tattoo like the hero of the movie “Prison Break”.

The development of technology is inevitable, as well as an increase in the interest of government agencies (customs officers, as their representatives) in everything related to cryptocurrencies (seed phrases), thanks to the popularization of crypto (you all wanted mass adoption, right?).

X-ray sees only metal. This is a hint on how to transport a phrase across the border if it is unavoidably necessary.

And that’s why X-ray scanners pose the least threat to bitcoiners. And that is why it is extremely dangerous to carry the seed phrase with you. Even once to cross the border.

But in this case, you are still carrying with you a seed phrase written on paper (unencrypted) that is easy to read with eyes.

Alternative: take a hardware wallet (from which it is almost impossible to extract the seed phrase), move to another country, create a new  seed phrase (on the new hardware wallet) and send all the funds to the new wallet. As a result, you have the seed phrase in your hands, a wallet with access, and the  seed phrase crosses the border in a format inaccessible to others.

I don’t understand why you need to carry a seed phrase with you when there are hardware wallets. If anyone other than you gains access to hardware wallet, then they still will not have access to the seed phrase and your crypto assets. This is one of the greatest advantages of hardware wallets. To tickle your nerves and take another risk?

The idea of engraving on the inside of your laptop case isn't too bad, but laptops are also an item which you use regularly in public and are quite attractive to being stolen. If you did engrave to the inside of your laptop case, you're now taking your code with you everywhere you take your laptop...

...I'm genuinely concerned about the alien spewing acid onto my steel plate now, although I had never though of that before!

Jokes aside, there are tonnes of reasons to ask this question because everyone's situation is different. What if (as was previously mentioned) you have no fixed address or you are going to move overseas for an extended period, wishing to keep access to your back up code without relying on calling a family member or friend and asking them to go dig up your steel backup at coordinate x,y? Anyway, whatever the reason...

X-ray scanners and cameras technology are constantly improving their resolution, so I would say if the technology doesn't already exist to read a backup phrase engraved on steel... it will someday, and that could hypothetically be tomorrow.

I would say that recovery plates which are flat shaped would be easiest to read, while something which is stacked would be much more difficult. This goes for xray scans and also a security guard momentarily bringing it out of your bag to see what it is. There may be other brands also, but I use Cryptosteel as an example of a "stacked" backup.

Some steel backups can also be disassembled.
So an option for you moving through a xray scanner could be,
first copy your 12/24 words from the steel onto a piece of paper,
fold or roll it up and hide it somewhere,
disassemble your steel backup,
travel through the xray,
once arrived at new destination reassemble the steel backup from the transcription,
destroy the paper copy.

People usually don't carry their metal seed words on every travel they make, this should be only done if you are moving away to a different country, or if they plan to do some coin and seed words management.
Any stainless steel will likely be detected by airport scanners, but there are some ways of mitigating this and one of them are faraday bags with your steelwallet placed inside.
There are even faraday wallets, but there is a risk with this method, so I would propose making your own DIY backups, or using temporary paper or plastic backup.
I was even thinking of using old G-shock (or other) wristwatches that have large databank functionality with passwords, that can be great stealth way for passing borders easily.

[/quote] This depends on the paranoia that each person has regarding the possession of their coins.

Do you just want to protect your coins from agents and scanners getting access to your coins, but it's okay if they know you have a steel plate or hardware wallet?

So in this case, I recommend carrying a ready-to-use hardware wallet with the seed phrase defined and then using it normally.

If you are carrying a stainless steel plate, it's better to add your funds in a BIP-39 passphrase, but then you have to either memorize this passphrase or keep it in separate places from the seedphrase, such as encrypted in open source mobile password managers.

If you think that being seen with a hardware wallet or a seed phrase on a steel plate is a threat to you, I recommend that you don't even carry these two items, just carry an encrypted hot wallet on your cell phone, at least momentarily until you arrive in the destination country. I wouldn't trust my seedphrase to anyone, so I don't think it's a valid alternative.

There is a big chance that the words printed on the stainless steel will be revealed, no one should pass through such checkup and go back to their normal lives as if nothing is wrong with this.

I won't think twice about this, I will definitely move my funds Somewhere else, I think a hardware wallet is better for passing such security check than a stainless. I can the wrong.

What do you guys think? A hardware wallet isn't supposed to raise any concern if you can pass through security checks with your smartphone I think, or there is more that I don't know? Enlighten me.

Dangerous, so dangerous.

There are always cameras everywhere, that makes the recovery seed not safe anymore, if I find myself in such a situation, It is time to move all my funds off that recovery seed into another wallet.

Another good reason to always have sending fee available in your crypto wallets for urgent matter like this.

I remember when a cousin of mine came into my home and I was out for a hour, when I got back I noticed someone entered my room, and since I have been hearing stuff about this cousin of mine when it comes to money, I quickly send all my assets from the wallet to another.

It was later he came to start asking questions about crypto coins and how to sell them, he had access to the recovery seed but he didn't know how to sell them, this was how I escaped then, and now I live far away from family members.

Keep a hardware wallet on hand (with the entered seed phrase) or, as a last resort, a installed hot wallet (with a strong password and adding the 13 or 25 word to minimize hacking).

The seed phrase essentially acts as a backup, which must be stored in case of emergency (loss of access to the wallet) and is completely unsuitable for traveling to other countries or everyday use (excessive risks).

I am focusing on the fact that it is stupid to carry the seed phrase with you anywhere, and even more so in foreign countries. It is no less stupid to have only 1 backup.

If you have time to move the contents of your wallet.

Imagine you are traveling and taking 2 backups of seed phrases with you in your backpack. Your backpack has been stolen. Will having 2 backups help you? No. If the 2nd backup was left in your home country, how quickly can you return and move the contents of the wallets? Not very soon.

Possible solution (not ideal): storing the backup with a person you trust (a very reliable partner or heir), who, if necessary (theft or loss of seed phrases) will be able to quickly access the backup and move the contents of the wallet.

You want, as in that joke about a taxi driver: “checkers or go”. If you want decentralization, suffer with seed phrases and with subsequent personal responsibility. If you want centralization, go to the bank. If you try to combine these two opposites - go to Square/Block with bitkey wallet and Ledger with recovery function. But then don't complain or whine about the problems associated with it.

We don't know mate, maybe he is trying to migrate on a new location? If not, yeah, it's definitely a worse idea to carry it anywhere at all times because we can lose it even if we pass the inspection at the airports, mall, or somewhere else... A scissor is a sharp thing and it is not allowed in some places but I don't think a steel wallet are designed to be like that because maybe the designers of it realized that issue already.

Thanks for giving me an idea. Now I will check the floors and walls to see if there is a hidden wallet , just kidding but odd locations like that are no doubt more unpredictable than if we place our wallets in a vault and other common locations. There is also an element of surprise like the ones I watch on a TV where they saw lots of money and a land title when their house are about to get destroyed by an auction unit.

Steelwallet are not affected by X-ray machines in the airport ,it is an electronic device , it's like
a small PC,  the security personnel can not start dismantling your PC or laptop during inspection which is not done or normal.

Steelwallet is more of a backup tool offline , which is used to store your recovery words, steelwallet preserve your seed from fire,water, electric shock e.t.c. Aside from the steelwallet you have to get another means of backup for your seed

 

No it won't be affected. X-Rays cannot read digital data. That is not how it works.

The exposure time is too low for the ionizing radiation to do any significant damage. Although theoretically not out of the question. The longer the exposure the higher the chance of significant damage. Especially to sensitive components (like rolls of film).

People usually don't carry their metal seed words on every travel they make, this should be only done if you are moving away to a different country, or if they plan to do some coin and seed words management.
Any stainless steel will likely be detected by airport scanners, but there are some ways of mitigating this and one of them are faraday bags with your steelwallet placed inside.
There are even faraday wallets, but there is a risk with this method, so I would propose making your own DIY backups, or using temporary paper or plastic backup.
I was even thinking of using old G-shock (or other) wristwatches that have large databank functionality with passwords, that can be great stealth way for passing borders easily.

It's not courageous to carry your recovery phrase written on goal plaques with you, this should be left at your home, you usually have your wallet encrypted with a password in an application such as bluewallet, this already makes it more than sufficiently secure against any interception, even let them take your cell phone or take your HW, but I would avoid even taking the HW to go through an airport.

And if you need those coins? 


I think you're focussing too much on that seed being the only one and that if it's gone all your coins are gone.

I always said that if you have a way of life that is risky for your property, (you rent, you travel a lot, you're a nomad) you for sure would need at least two backup locations, not just because you lose one but the moment you lose it you must have a way to as soon a possible move those funds to a new one.

Let's assume you're on vacation, you get a call that you're house was break-in, and that thief ransacked everything the one hour till the police found out, what are you going to do? You don't know if your seed was compromised, you don't know if it's secure, but even so, you would have no way of acting! With a card it's simple, you call a number and you get it locked, with your coins you pray for 7 days that the cold wallet is intact and not stolen when you finally get back!

In any case, wandering around with a seed phrase in your pocket doesn't look like a smart step, because at any stage of the move you can lose or be robbed (luggage), which increases the unnecessary risks of losing the phrase.

Offhand solution: divide the seed phrase into several parts (and encrypt) and leave it in a safe deposit box with relatives or friends leading a sedentary lifestyle.

I repeat, carrying a seed phrase with you is fraught with loss. Sooner or later.

The laptop example is an example to demonstrate a possible solution to that problem. I agree with this that it is better to hide the phrase in those (cheap) things that are unattractive to thieves.

But any backpack / luggage is always a potential target for thieves, no matter what it contains. No matter how carefully you try to hide the seed phrase in your luggage, it will be found or thrown away. Can be found by both criminals and law enforcement officials, such as the customs service.

Off the top of my head: encrypt seed phrase and apply them to yourself as a tattoo. No one can steal (unless scalped) and is always with you.

The way you can go about it is to plant at least one decoy word within the steel plate that is NOT part of the seed phrase but one that you've memorized as being swapped out with the real word, which is the one you remember.

It's easy to remember 2 words vs 12 or 24. However, if you have the mental fortitude, you can create a memory castle and remember the entire seed phrase. Similar to how oral traditions have repeated biblical stories for hundreds of years before they were eventually written down

People’s circumstances are unique, so even if it is not the best idea to travel with a piece of steel with your seed phrase, maybe the OP is forced to do it, now I will admit that unless there was no other way I would probably avoid the airport if I was trying to travel with such a wallet, since airports have some of the best security around and you do not want to bring any unwanted attention to yourself, so if the OP could use another form of transportation that would be for the best, but if traveling through an airport was a must, I would probably destroy the steel wallet and bring my seed words with me through other means, as the risk of losing that wallet in some way is just too high in such a dynamic environment.

I don't think it would be a smart idea to travel with a piece of steel with your seed phrase: besides the fact that it could raise some suspects in case of a more accurate inspection, you don't really have an immediate way to eventually cancel the seed phrase: let's say an agent take the plate and opens it, he's going to see the phrase and it could take it away with any excuse, and what do you do at that point? Unless you can immediately transfer your funds you are screwed.

There is no such thing!
Airport security doesn't care about the composition of an object but what that object can do!

Here is the list of banned objects in the EU:
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/ccc90f5a-0010-464e-b90b-23142ea4e2e8_en?filename=info_travellers_hand_luggage.pdf

You can take a stainless steel water bottle with you but you will not be allowed a plastic toy gun or a wooden bat.

A steel wallet won't be an issue when traveling. But you can't carrythe plan with you. You will need to book it with your luggage. Inside the plan, they usually don't allow anything made with steel. In special cases, you have to show them something that isn't secured. But having to book with your luggage is not an issue. Remember, in any case, customs may ask you to open your luggage and check everything. So yes, it's pretty risky to carry when you are travelling abroad. Better use paper to write your seed during travels.