Re:NIST declares the age of SMS-based 2-factor authenticatio...
by scrollaway on Tuesday July 26, 2016 @09:00AM
(#12165270)
> It can't be through the same method that these codes unlock for you. Right?
That depends who you're warding against. Any attacker sufficiently motivated has access to everything you have access to, so in theory, nothing is safe. If you're warding against MITM for example, logging in with an OTP code is enough, you don't even need a password. If you're warding against malware, then the OTP seed should be on a different (airgapped) machine. In both those scenarios, assuming you don't have a webcam, a post-it note with your backup codes is sufficient.
But yes, ideally the codes should be on a different machine, or at the very least in a different safe (eg. two separate KDBs with a different passphrase). And to answer your other comment, yes, they'll usually be safer on paper under your mattress.
That depends who you're warding against. Any attacker sufficiently motivated has access to everything you have access to, so in theory, nothing is safe. If you're warding against MITM for example, logging in with an OTP code is enough, you don't even need a password. If you're warding against malware, then the OTP seed should be on a different (airgapped) machine. In both those scenarios, assuming you don't have a webcam, a post-it note with your backup codes is sufficient.
But yes, ideally the codes should be on a different machine, or at the very least in a different safe (eg. two separate KDBs with a different passphrase). And to answer your other comment, yes, they'll usually be safer on paper under your mattress.