browser cryptocurrency wallets

[a viewer]

Though I agree with Steve's idea that a browser's addons increase the attack surface, and many of these are poorly written. Thus providing ingress to the system through our browser. However, some of the wallets might be more secure than password managers.

Some wallets allow for the use of hardware storage for the private keys (wish they had the same for passwords). The add-on provides the convenience of linking with websites to allow for a more transparent interaction. Thus to authorize any outgoing flow of funds requires you to connect your hardware device. Some even allow generating 2fa tokens as fido2 or u2f

 

[Sushi]

I also disagreed with the sentiment, however, I understand the concept sounds like a bad idea in general. I think Steve was just broadly speaking that is seems stupid and foolish, but he also doesn’t have a use case for something like Metamask.

 

[Ralph]

I am always cautious about browser add-ons, and aside from a small handful of Firefox add-ons don't use them. I did play with the Bitwarden add-on for a while but deleted it in favor of manual copy/ paste operations using Bitwarden. It didn't auto populate all my web sites anyway. As far as crypto I started using a hardware wallet to store private keys in conjunction with a software wallet. I agree with previous comments that keeping private keys off your computer is the way to go. I do have a software wallet without USB that I used for learning. I kept that on my computer only because there is not enough in it to move. I guess it could serve as a 'canary' should someone get into my machine but in any case there's not enough in it to worry about.

I guess for a limited (but not enough) number of people cryptocurrency has brought computer security to a higher level. When it comes to security being paranoid may not be such a bad thing.

 

[a viewer]

but he also doesn’t have a use case for something like Metamask

Steve might have the use for a wallet, if he only finds his 50 bitcoins lol

I am always cautious about browser add-ons

Plugins can be a problem, you never know what they really are doing and these get access to all your browsing doings

As Steve has said, security is an afterthought if at all

being paranoid may not be such a bad thing

Just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean your computer isn't spying on you

kept that on my computer only because there is not enough in it to move

lol, If they try to rob your software wallet, maybe something like this might happen

 

[Ralph]

I don't imagine that happens often, but it's good to know it may.