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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 20th, 2023

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  • A physical token only authenticates itself as “something you have” if there’s no way to extract the key from it. In practice non-hardcore deployments usually have a backup procedure but in principle, if you want multiple tokens, they should have separate keys. What you’re asking in simplest form involves storing the key on a server where it can potentially spill in a server breach or the like. If the key protects something very valuable, that can be dangerous. If it’s for your old Reddit account, you might decide to do it anyway.

















  • If it’s from a memorable phrase, then the phrase has a lot of redundancy and it’s hard to estimate the actual entropy. Generating a random phrase and writing it on a slip of paper works for me. Keep the paper in your pocket and refer to it when you need to, instead of trying to memorize it. Once you’ve typed it into the computer a few times, you remember it automatically. At that point you can swallow the paper or use your favorite alternate secure disposal method ;).