How to build a secure computer for storing digital crypto assets

6. Encrypted backups and recovery

If you've completed all the steps (sections), congratulations! It was not as hard as it looked. May have been time consuming especially the Bitcoin blockchain download, but not difficult

The last section is the most difficult and complex... for security reasons

There is no bitcoins or crypto assets, yet. I've never mentioned to transfer any to any of the wallets, for good reason

Now is the time to test the waters

Generate 110 receiving addresses on the bitcoin core (it's under help menu, here's a button called receive, and there's a button create new address button, segwit addresses)

Let's review, on a previous section you did encrypt the wallet with a strong password that you saved to your new fake google email? Good (It's under settings "encrypt wallet")

When you back up the "walletFileName.dat", it comes with 100 bitcoin addresses and private keys, if you generate 110 addresses, it will generate not 10, but another 100, so if you ever use more than 100 addresses, this back up will cover you for up to 200 addresses, when you exceed that you have to update your backup

Send $100 worth of btc to any of the addresses on the bitcoin core wallet, Once confirmed, you can use bitcoin core to send to another address in the bitcoin core list of addresses, it will ask for a password, use your password, if it doesn't work, you contributed $100 worth of btc to everyone. You did not save your password correctly

If it worked, shutdown bitcoin core and you are now ready to move the walletFilename.dat to an encrypted volume container

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On Metamask, generate 5 addresses "drop down arrow add account "and send $100 worth of Eth.to the third address

Wipe out Metamask (reset) by un-installing the google web extension, but make sure you have written down the 12 words, if you need to check, you can go to settings and security and privacy, reveal secret recovery phrase

Install Metamask web extension and use the 12 words and generate 5 addresses if you see your Eth on the 3rd address, you are ready to back up the 12 words to the encrypted volume container

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https://www.digitalocean.com/commun...o-create-an-encrypted-volume-on-an-ubuntu-vps

You will move your walletFileName.dat to the encrypted volume, create a text file on the volume with the 12 word passphrase

uninstall Metamask

shutdown the computer. After 5 days, restore your bitcoin-core wallet by copying from the encrypted volume and also restore Metamask from the text file on the encrypted volume

If successful, you can start to load up the bitcoin core with more bitcoins and the Metamask with more digital assets,

make copies of the encypted volume and send to offsite, share the process with a loved one

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. Yes, this last part is difficult. Yes, there are things I did not say since I will only get questions if someone actually made it this far
 
engineering said:
If you don't know of a single Linux system that has been hacked, you're probably underinformed.

And using a VPN to hide the country you live in so that you can execute transactions with someone that specifically doesn't want to transact with you is a terrible idea. What are you going to tell them if there is a problem? Are you going to give them fraudulent user information?

Using Google for any of this also seems like a terrible idea. Google seems to live to spy on people and conduct censorship. If I was to get involved in any of this, I'd pay for a real email service with terms of service that do not allow them to screw me over at a moment's notice. I'd stay away from software by spy-happy companies.
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I said linux user, not linux system. The nuance is important

Smart contract platforms are blockchain systems and do not ask for user information, the private keys ownership of the digital assets are part of authentication, web3, et al

If the smart contract platform requires user information, that is a centralized company project, not defi or decentralized finance

yes, google is bad, but it's good enough for this function. Google will not have access to your linux local files nor bitcoin core software
 
I do use Linux systems, longer than all of you, for sure, just because of my age and my job.
I am not trying to undermine them. I think they are the best systems, but they are not unbreakable. If you know what you are doing, you might be able to resist an attack, but if you are targeted they will find your flaws. Specially if you follow a list like the one you guys are discussing. Laying out your applications in a list is the easiest way to plan an attack on you, they simply know the applications that you are using, so they can narrow the attack on them.

Windows and MacOs can be way more secure than Linux is they are properly configured.

Linux systems get hacked on a daily basis, just saying "I don't know any Linux system that has been hacked" means that you don't have a clue of what is going on. You are simply too little and too weak to be targeted by any attack, that is all. You are not interesting as a target. That is why you've never been hacked.

https://gbhackers.com/rekoobe-backdoor-linux-systems/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/these-hackers-have-been-quietly-targeting-linux-servers-for-years/

There are courses specialized in Linux hardening, Hakin9 is one of the best magazines out there in terms of security, in case you are interested:
https://hakin9.org/course/linux-system-hardening-w45/

Guys, this topic is flying way over your head.
 
Drawdown Addict said:
Specially if you follow a list like the one you guys are discussing. Laying out your applications in a list is the easiest way to plan an attack on you, they simply know the applications that you are using, so they can narrow the attack on them.

You are simply too little and too weak to be targeted by any attack, that is all. You are not interesting as a target. That is why you've never been hacked.
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Yes, I'm too little a target. I'm not interesting a target at all. You might say I'm invisible. I'd like to keep it that way

Which if you haven't noticed is the point of why I created this thread about a dedicated secure linux computer

To make the people who follow the instructions invisible

A dedicated linux system with the bare necessities for using bitcoin and other crypto assets.. to have no ties to heir real world identities, i.e. a fake google account

to not have ties to their location, i.e. VPN
 
My bad, I need the right audience for what I am saying.

A plastic bag would do.

upload_2023-8-20_12-35-33.png
 
Drawdown Addict said:
Windows and MacOs can be way more secure than Linux is they are properly configured.

Guys, this topic is flying way over your head.
More...

You have no idea what I did for a living... I mentioned it once in a post

I was a computer technician

Without exaggerating, over the years, I have cleaned over 100 Windows machines of viruses and all kinds of malware

I did this at work and I was the go-to guy for friends and family

It was one of the main functions of our only windows desktop at home, I get a call from someone in-need, bring the computer, I take out the hard drive, connect it to the USB-cable converter, many required a power, those old mechanical drives, Backup their data before doing anything, then after backup is done, fire up my free MalwareBytes software and scan and clean, some files cannot be cleaned so manually delete them

Never charged anyone a single penny. Best Buy charges over $300 with a week turn around from what I've heard

You've probably seen the effects of these Windows users getting hacked, their FB starts sending spam, or their email starts sending spam...

So fuck no, Windows are not fucking secure

and Even though I'm not a Mac guy, I've also cleaned a few Mac of malware, that's why there's MalwareBytes version for Mac. There is no version for linux, wonder why, lol

This will go over your head but I've cracked over a hundred Windows passwords over the years, Evil maid attack went over your head, google it

http://falconfour.com/falconfours-ultimate-boot-cd-usb-v4-6-f4ubcd/
 
johnarb said:
You have no idea what I did for a living... I mentioned it once in a post

I was a computer technician

Without exaggerating, over the years, I have cleaned over 100 Windows machines of viruses and all kinds of malware

I did this at work and I was the go-to guy for friends and family

It was one of the main functions of our only windows desktop at home, I get a call from someone in-need, bring the computer, I take out the hard drive, connect it to the USB-cable converter, many required a power, those old mechanical drives, Backup their data before doing anything, then after backup is done, fire up my free MalwareBytes software and scan and clean, some files cannot be cleaned so manually delete them

Never charged anyone a single penny. Best Buy charges over $300 with a week turn around from what I've heard

You've probably seen the effects of these Windows users getting hacked, their FB starts sending spam, or their email starts sending spam...

So fuck no, Windows are not fucking secure

and Even though I'm not a Mac guy, I've also cleaned a few Mac of malware, that's why there's MalwareBytes version for Mac. There is no version for linux, wonder why, lol

This will go over your head but I've cracked over a hundred Windows passwords over the years, Evil maid attack went over your head, google it

http://falconfour.com/falconfours-ultimate-boot-cd-usb-v4-6-f4ubcd/
More...

In every single bank I worked, and I did work in a few, they use Windows as their main OS.
We were allowed to use Linux in the team, but just us because we needed special tools that only came with Linux distros.
Windows can be very secure, if it is configured properly. Those pcs that came with all sort of viruses to your hands were obviously standard user pcs. That is not what you see in corporate environments.
Corporate pcs have a restricted user account that can't install anything, as part of a very strict domain. Only the IT department can install in those computers by pushing releases through a secure environment. Applications can only be installed from a certain drive that is in quarantine.

There is no way you can break in there, and that is all Windows based.
 
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