Make Coinan independent reference on digital safety and online fraud

An independent reference on digital safety. Not affiliated with the former website on this domain; we do not sell or promise documents, diplomas or "earnings". This is not legal advice — if you have been defrauded, contact your bank and the police.

Comparisons

Comparisons

Almost every security task has several solutions, and they are not equal. You can receive a second factor by SMS, in an app or with a hardware key; you can store passwords in a notebook, in your browser or in a password manager. In this section we compare the methods by their strengths and weaknesses to make choosing easier. The best method is the one you will actually keep using.

A weak second factor is better than none. But if you have a choice, pick a method that cannot be intercepted along the way.

— Editor's note

How this section works: we compare methods, not products. Assessments are given in general terms, without percentages or rankings. Password recommendations are based on NIST SP 800-63B.

Second-factor methods

MethodStrengthsWeaknesses
SMSNo separate app needed, works on any phone, familiar to most usersWeaker than other methods: the code can be talked out of you over the phone or intercepted through a SIM swap; without signal the code will not arrive
Authenticator appCodes are generated on the phone itself, independent of the mobile carrier, and work offlineWithout backup codes, regaining access after losing your phone is hard; the code can still be entered on a phishing page
Hardware keyChecks the website's address and protects well against phishing; no code to type in manuallyYou need to carry the key and keep a spare; not supported by every service

Ways to store passwords

MethodStrengthsWeaknesses
Paper notebookOut of reach of remote attackers, independent of devicesCan be lost or fall into the wrong hands; impractical for many long, unique passwords
Built-in browser storageConvenient, free, fills in passwords automaticallyOnly as secure as the sign-in to the device itself and to the browser account; harder to use across different browsers
Password managerEncrypts passwords, generates long unique passwords, works across devices, often warns about breachesEverything rests on the master password: make it long and protect it with a second factor
  • Tools

    Types of protection tools: password managers, authenticator apps, hardware keys, breach checks, backups.

  • Practical guides

    Step-by-step guides: two-factor authentication, password managers, breach checks, phishing, diploma verification. Also home to the article catalogue.

  • Glossary

    Glossary: accounts and passwords, money and fraud schemes, documents.

Sources

  • NIST SP 800-63B

Laws, bank rules and service features change. This information is based on official sources as of the preparation date — check the current versions of laws and the instructions of the services themselves.