Offline storage of security credentials

[rumpleforeskin]

Hi all,

After I recent bereavement in the family, I'm slowly working my way through the deceaseds financials and notifying banks, pension companies etc.. trying to put everything in order for his partner.

This got me thinking that I could make this whole process a lot less stressful for my family if anything happened to me by having the details of my life insurance, pensions, saving accounts, share trading accounts banking account and email account stored in some way that they would be safe but also easy to access should the worst happen.

The problem is I'm not sure what would be the best way to go about this. Ideally, I'd like some kind of USB stick that you need a password to access. Then I could store all the info in a text document inside. The security does not have to be unbreakable as the device would be stored in my home safe. So the security only has to be strong enough to keep the data safe until I know I have been robbed and can update my passwords in a timely manner.

Anyone else do this? I would love to hear some suggestions.

Thanks
Rumple

 

[UsandThem]

I keep a copy of all "can't lose" documents in cloud storage, and a duplicate copy on an external hard drive. I wouldn't personally trust a USB drive for long-term storage as they are made to be cheap, and that doesn't give me peace of mind.

However, before they go on there, I encrypt them with 7-zip, using a master password in order to see or access the files.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Yes I agree. I would keep those documents in several places. Encrypt the archive with 7-zip.

If you want to go with USB drives, I would put 3 of them in 3 different places.

 

[rumpleforeskin]

Thanks for the feedback.
I note your comment about the unreliability of USB drives for long term storage, that is a good point.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Just make sure you have duplicates, and people know where they are. Then make sure it's updated, and someone knows the password.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've been meaning to do this myself actually. I wrote my own password manager, so all I need to do is add a checkbox for password entries I want to include, then I could just have a feature to print them out in a list, then I can put it in a safe. I would just have to remember to update it regularly.

Of course I could just include the password to the password manager, but if for whatever reason my network is not up then they'll have a hard time knowing how to bring all the servers back up to get to it.

 

[mindless1]

I trust USB flash drives more than any other media, for file sets small enough to affordably fit on one. Don't bump them while plugged in and break the connector off the PCB (not applicable to newer generation metal bodied products) and don't trust one that runs hot. They also need their contents refreshed every few years.

Otherwise, IMO they are more reliable than a HDD, SSD, optical media, or even tape if you don't have the correct storage environment, and the most universal interface for retrieval later. They're more reliable than a cloud too if you take into account all the ways you can lose access to a cloud.

Plus, I keep an additional copy on a flash drive on my keyring so I'm never without it, encrypted of course. I mean in addition to a 2nd backup to a different USB flash drive.

The key to any storage medium is redundancy, and of course testing before trust.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I think the issue is the flash media itself is not always reliable. You would think it is, because it's solid state, but it CAN go bad. I suppose if you buy a good quality brand one you should be ok though, and store it somewhere cool, I think they don't like heat. Even when offline.

Actually, a SSD with a USB enclosure might work. Yes it uses the same tech but it will be much more reliable version of it as it's designed for more IO as an active drive in a system. So yeah that might actually be a good way to go. Make sure it has a USB enclosure too though, just makes it easier to access.

 

[mindless1]

^ That's what redundancy is for, though I've had a Sandisk Extreme Pro plugged in to a running system 24/7, for near 7 years with daily use, and the other major brand makes/models I use weekly for backups, haven't had problems either.

Granted every few years I replace them to upgrade the capacity (just lagging behind on the Extreme Pro because it costs double what a midrange flash drive of the same capacity does) but my old smaller ones still work fine too, ending up in cars, boomboxes, etc to store audio. I use USB flash drives a lot and haven't had a failure in a long time.

On the other hand, I wouldn't rely on any generic, nor my Sandisk Ultra Flair, or an Ultra Fit for anything important because they both slow down as they heat up during extended writes, never enough in my use to crash them but some owners have reported that.

I don't think an SSD is going to be more reliable for this type of use. That it's capable of more write cycles from wear leveling, isn't all that relevant if you're putting it to a use where you get nowhere near that # of write cycles. Running an OS is a different story.

For example suppose you wipe and fill a USB flash drive completely, once a day, every single day and it's only got 10K write cycles. That works out to a little over 27 years. Granted the industry will probably have stopped using USB A in the next decade because it's too reliable. Why have a nice sturdy plug when you can shrink it down till it and the socket become fragile like USB-C?

In other words, I would only rely on a USB flash drive with a USB A connector, not micro or C.