As a web3 practitioner, it’s essential to put strong security measures in place to protect your cryptocurrency holdings and private data. This article aims to discuss the significance of security and offers helpful advice and suggested gadgets for cryptocurrency-owning users!
Today we’re also going to talk about a cold crypto wallet, so if you wanted to read about hacking devices, I’d like to share my most recent discovery with you first and then return to our story later:
First things first, I’d like to start with a brief disclaimer. This article was originally split into two (1, 2) distinct older articles. However, because of recent tragic world events (multiple active conflicts at once), I decided it would be appropriate to update them, which I did. I do hope you like it!
The point is that I don’t want to make this article too long and difficult to read, so I hope you like my new format!
This article is also a logical continuation of my previous article, and if you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do so now so that you can understand OpSec in greater depth before moving on to this one:
Understanding Potential Risks
As a web3 practitioner, you are likely accustomed to a lifestyle of freedom, flexibility, and independence. However, the very nature of your web3 existence exposes you to unique risks, especially when it comes to safeguarding your digital assets.
In this article, will also discuss why using a cold wallet like GridPlus.io is essential for web3 practitioners, as well as the importance of installing web3antivirus.io on your wallet. I will not go into detail about how the GridPlus Lattice1 system works, but I will share some links (1, 2) where you can learn more about it!
I’d also like to express my hope that you enjoyed this article and recognized a couple of new projects — true Web3 Fresh Blood, future freshmen. Let’s get started!
Understanding the Basics: What is a Cold Wallet?
First, let’s go over the basics. A cold wallet is a hardware device that stores your private keys offline, away from potential online threats. It provides an additional layer of security compared to hot wallets, which are internet-connected.
By keeping your funds offline, cold wallets mitigate the risks associated with hacking attempts, phishing attacks, or malware infections that target web-based wallets. In my own opinion: paper wallet > any wallet, but I also do agree with the following gradation: SCIF < AirGap < Lattice < Paper Wallet.
Now, let’s look at my previous research, as I have updated the data it contained:
The Web3 Practitioner Lifestyle & Online Security
As a web3 practitioner, your exposure to Wi-Fi networks, public computers, and unfamiliar online environments is higher than most. While these opportunities enable your web3 lifestyle, they also increase the risk of your digital assets being compromised.
The GridPlus Lattice1 is a unique hardware wallet that lets you manage an unlimited number of seed phrases with one device, pair individual addresses from each with Rabby, and see precisely what you’re signing each and every time. Docs page.
Keep in mind, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and you can still fall victim to hackers. Your safety is entirely in your own hands! Using the sites listed below, you can create your own hot or cold wallet based on your needs and test the dependability of GridPlus Lattice:
With all said, for me there is no doubt that using a cold wallet specifically designed for web3 practitioners, such as GridPlus.io Lattice1, can minimize these risks significantly. Moreover, GridPlus.io Lattice1 also offers several features that make it an excellent choice for web3 practitioners:
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Enhanced Security: By storing your private keys securely offline, GridPlus.io Lattice1 protects your funds from potential cyber-attacks that can target your wallet through unsecured networks or compromised devices.
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Portability: The compact and lightweight design of GridPlus.io Lattice1 allows you to carry your cold wallet with ease wherever your web3 lifestyle takes you. This ensures that you maintain control over your digital assets while being on the move.
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Accessibility: GridPlus.io Lattice1 supports multiple blockchains, making it compatible with various cryptocurrencies. This convenience allows you to manage different digital assets within a single wallet, streamlining your financial management as a digital nomad.
I highly recommend watching this video first; it’s well worth your time:
Essentially, the device architecture is designed to prevent 100% of physical attacks. Despite the Lattice1 being an always-online device, your private keys are never accessible from the internet due to two separate compute environments. So, what are the distinguishing characteristics that make the Lattice1 the best hardware wallet on the market?
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Infinite Secure Wallets: Managing more than one wallet is cumbersome; the Lattice1 and SafeCards let you manage every wallet you’ve created from a single device and pair addresses from each with your favorite software.
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Cost-Effective: Most crypto users use more than one wallet. With the Lattice1 you don’t need to buy a new hardware device for each seed phrase, making it more cost-effective than alternatives.
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Enterprise-Grade Hardware Security: The Lattice1 is designed to be secure even when a sophisticated hardware hacker has their hands on your device. An anti-tamper mesh acts as a tripwire which will erase your secrets instead of letting your private keys be exported to a computer so that your PIN can be brute-forced.
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Easy Secure Backups: Using plaintext mnemonics seed phrases as backups on paper, metal, or in the cloud means anyone who can see these words has unlimited access to your crypto. GridPlus SafeCards make backing up and restoring your accounts fast, simple, and reliable all while keeping your secrets safe from prying eyes.
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See What You’re Signing: Hardware wallets empower users to keep themselves safe by checking the signing request they see on their computer or phone against a secure screen to ensure they’re not the victim of an attack. The Lattice1 parses transaction data to clearly show users the most important information so that they can make safe decisions at a glance.
Screen contents are always drawn from Lattice firmware, which runs in a secure computation environment that is not connected to the internet (more on this later) — this ensures that you are always signing what you see on the screen.
PIN-protected SafeCards allow you to backup your wallet as well as have a safe cold storage location that only you can access with your PIN — the cards have a GridPlus issued certificate that only works with an original Lattice1, so no one can read or change the data on your card in any way.
SafeCards + GridPlus
So why exactly does the Lattice1 hardware wallet come bundled with something that looks like a credit card? Essentially, GridPlus SafeCards empower you in two important ways:
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Enabling you to manage an infinite number of wallets with a single HW device;
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Secure private key backups.
When you insert a SafeCard into your Lattice1 and enter your PIN you have access to whatever wallet is loaded on that card. This lets you pair addresses with your favorite web3 software and sign normally — you can even pair addresses from lots of different seed phrases!
These cards also double as a PIN-protected backup of your private keys. Make as many backups as you want and restore your private keys to your Lattice1 without needing to enter a plaintext seed phrase. SafeCards also make the Lattice1 the most cost effective hardware for managing multiple wallets: you don’t have to buy a stack of expensive hardware wallets to enjoy enterprise-grade security for all of your addresses.
Moreover, the card chip should be able to work even when slightly scratched, but of course it is recommended you focus on not scratching the card’s chip when you have coins stored on the card. The chip’s working temperature range is from -25°C to +85°C (-13°C to +185°F) — don’t microwave your SafeCards and you should be good.
The card will last for around 2000 inserts — if you know you will be using your SafeCard more often, it’s always good to have a backup one. Check out this guide which is intended to explain the GridPlus Lattice1 and SafeCards for reviewers, media, affiliate sales partners, and anyone else looking to learn more. You can also find everything about security in the next article!
Importance of Web3 Antivirus
It makes sense that in addition to protecting ourselves physically, we also need to do so on the blockchain. So, while using a cold wallet like GridPlus Lattice1 offers robust security, it is essential to complement it with additional layers of protection.
Additionally, I believe that the GridPlus Lattice1 users will be happy to receive detailed information about the addresses they interact with from the W3A team, as they have acquired a very large dataset of address labels and their relationship to specific projects. This way, users will be more aware of their financial security and awareness as a result of learning about the actual addresses of projects, bridges, and legitimate airdrop links.
Check out our one-of-a-kind extension for this purpose:
Installing Web3 Antivirus on your wallet further fortifies your defense against potential threats. Here’s why it should be a priority:
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Malware Protection: Web3 Antivirus provides real-time protection against malware and phishing attacks specifically designed to target digital wallets. It scans and detects any suspicious activities, ensuring you are alerted to potential risks.
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Secure Web3 Browsing: Web3 Antivirus allows you to browse the decentralized web securely. It identifies and blocks harmful websites, protecting you from potential data breaches or phishing attempts.
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Enhanced Privacy: Nowadays, fraudsters also started exploiting the vulnerabilities in the Permit and Permit2 signatures to make you grant approvals to all your ERC-20 tokens to them. But don’t worry — W3A gets you covered. Anytime you come across Permit attacks, web3antivirus.io will show you a warning and indicate the risk level.
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Defense from Permit Attacks: W3A will specify the exact type of honeypot you encounter: no transfer, high sale fee, or high purchase fee.
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Better Security & Threat Prevention: The variety of scams and risks you can face when making transactions in web3 is endless. Web3 Antivirus warns you about a big deal of them, so to simplify your navigation through our risk reposts, W3A team made a reorganization and divided threats into three categories: Warnings, Key risks, and Moderate risks.
As the popularity and adoption of cryptocurrencies continue to grow, so does the need for robust security solutions to protect against such attacks. Web3 Antivirus emerges as a reliable choice due to its unique features and comprehensive approach to safeguarding the Web3 ecosystem. It also embraces a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to both experts and newcomers in the crypto space.
Its intuitive design allows users to easily navigate the antivirus software, monitor their wallets, and analyze the status of their smart contracts. It provides customized security recommendations and notifications to empower users with the necessary knowledge to protect themselves effectively:
Web3antivirus.io Transaction Simulation
This post is also a logical continuation of my previous one, which you should read immediately if you haven’t already in order to gain a better understanding of OpSec (Operational Security) and Threat Modeling before proceeding to the current one:
Final Remarks
Protecting your digital assets as a web3 practitioner is of utmost importance. Utilizing a cold wallet like GridPlus.io Lattice1 and installing web3antivirus.io can provide you with the necessary security features to safeguard against potential threats!
With the rise in cybercrime and the increasing value of cryptocurrencies, adopting robust security measures is no longer an option but a necessity. Invest in your peace of mind by prioritizing the safety of your digital assets.
Finally, I’d like to mention that I personally tested both items (the Lattice1 device and the W3A extension) and am confident in their performance and that they outperform all competitors currently on the market.
Stay secure, stay confident, and continue enjoying your web3 lifestyle without compromising your financial well-being! Thank you for visiting my blog!