Bitcoin’s price skyrocketed for the first time in 2017, leading to massive popularity across the world. Along with other cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has experienced a high surge in the years 2020 and 2021, surpassing its values and making new records every time. With the increase in the value of bitcoin, hacking events have also been increased. Because each day, thousands of users get attacked by the bitcoin network but don’t know how to secure their investments, hackers are finding new yet approachable ways to hack private keys and attack users’ funds.
Users are unaware of ransomware attacks and even don’t know how to secure their wallets. Users who have become victims of hacking attacks see their funds stealing but can do nothing about it. Like cash is stored in physical wallets or bank accounts, digital currencies like bitcoin are stored in digital wallets. The digital wallets can be stored on your desktop or mobile. These wallets store bitcoin addresses and digital keys that are used to access bitcoins. You know that digital wallets store your crypto tokens but do you know about the security that these wallets provide to your tokens? Do you know how safe your crypto tokens are?
The answer to all these questions depends on the user as to how they manage their digital wallet. Digital wallets contain digital keys that are the public and private keys used to access the bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies. The private keys must be kept secret, and the main danger for bitcoin wallet is losing private keys. If you lose your private keys, you’ll lose all your funds. The hackers may attack your computer or mobile device through ransomware attacks, hacking, or stealing your bitcoins through some other source. You can learn about the official bitcoin trader and learn how to secure your bitcoin wallets.
Bitcoin wallets are categorized into two different types that include hot wallets and cold wallets.
Hot Wallet
Hot wallets are online wallets that can only operate through internet connectivity and downloaded on devices like tablets, mobile devices or computers. Online wallets are highly vulnerable as these wallets produce private keys using internet connectivity. Although these wallets are highly convenient and allow users to send and receive bitcoins easily, the main issue is security.
Bitcoin users who use hot wallets without using security measures often get their funds attacked or stolen. It doesn’t matter whether you store a little or more bitcoin; you must protect your wallet using security methods. It is advised to users to only store a limited amount of cryptocurrencies in their hot wallets and keep a regular check on their wallet balance. If any hacking event occurred, your wallet would be lost, and your fund will be compromised.
Cold Wallet
Another type of wallet is a cold wallet that is considered the best and safest option to store cryptocurrencies. Cold wallets aren’t connected to the internet, and these never compromise the safety of their users and provide high security by storing the private keys and your bitcoins offline. These wallets are also known as offline wallets and better options to store your bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies.
One of the most prominent types of cold wallets is paper wallets. The paper wallet generates the digital keys in printed form, and users are required to store that piece of paper safely at places where no one can access those papers. Cold wallets are more advantageous than hot wallets as they remain unaffected by malware attacks and viruses.
Security precautions
Other than storing your bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies in digital wallets, there are some security precautions that users must take to protect their digital tokens that are as follows:
Software update
Users must keep their digital wallet software updated. A digital wallet that is non-updated may be a soft target for fraudsters and may attack all your bitcoins. The updated software will provide better security to your bitcoins. Updates on software will install the latest protocol and security fixes to your wallet and provide better security.
Backup
It is imperative to back up your bitcoin wallet, and you must have regular backups to make sure that your wallets and files are safe. You can store your wallets and create a backup of your wallet at different secured locations.
