Secure Your Key: Password Protection

G5 Cyber Security

1 week ago

TL;DR

Protect your secret key by encrypting it with a strong password before storing it. Use tools like OpenSSL or GPG to do this, and always keep the password separate from the encrypted key.

How to Password-Protect Your Secret Key

Choose a Strong Password: This is the most important step!

At least 12 characters long (longer is better).
A mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Not something easily guessable – avoid birthdays, names, or common words.
Use a password manager to generate and store it securely.

Encryption with OpenSSL: OpenSSL is a powerful command-line tool for encryption.

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in your_secret_key.txt -out encrypted_key.enc

This will prompt you for an encryption password (your strong password).
It creates a file called encrypted_key.enc containing the encrypted key.
The -aes-256-cbc option uses AES encryption with a 256-bit key, which is very secure.
The -salt option adds a random salt to make brute-force attacks harder.

Encryption with GPG: GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) is another good option.

gpg -c --cipher-algo AES256 your_secret_key.txt

This will prompt you for a passphrase (your strong password).
It creates a file called your_secret_key.txt.gpg containing the encrypted key.
AES256 is a strong encryption algorithm.

Decryption with OpenSSL: To use the key, you need to decrypt it.

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -d -salt -in encrypted_key.enc -out decrypted_key.txt

This will prompt you for the encryption password you used earlier.
It creates a file called decrypted_key.txt containing your original key. Make sure to delete this file securely after use (see step 6).

Decryption with GPG: To decrypt the key using GPG.

gpg -d your_secret_key.txt.gpg > decrypted_key.txt

This will prompt you for the passphrase used during encryption.
It creates a file called decrypted_key.txt containing your original key. Make sure to delete this file securely after use (see step 6).

Secure Storage: Never store the password and encrypted key in the same place!

Store the encrypted key in a secure location, like a version control system with access controls.
Keep the password in a separate, highly secure location – ideally a password manager or a physically isolated storage device.

Secure Deletion: When you no longer need the decrypted key, delete it securely.

Simply deleting the file isn’t enough; data can often be recovered.
Use a secure deletion tool (like shred on Linux/macOS) to overwrite the file multiple times. For example:
```
shred -u decrypted_key.txt
```
.

Important Considerations

Key Rotation: Regularly change your secret key and password (e.g., every 90 days).
Access Control: Limit access to the encrypted key to only those who absolutely need it.
cyber security Best Practices: Follow general cyber security guidelines for protecting sensitive data, such as keeping your systems updated and using strong authentication methods.