Keep your secrets yours
Plain-language guides to passwords, encryption, two-factor codes and juggling many accounts, from the team that builds Potent Cipher.
- Encryption
What is a zero-knowledge password manager?
Zero-knowledge means the company storing your passwords can't read them. Here is how that works, what it protects you from and what it can't.
· 3 min read - Developers
How to store API keys and secrets securely (for developers)
API keys end up in .env files, Slack and notes apps. Here is a practical way to keep them safe, share them carefully and rotate them when needed.
· 2 min read - Encryption
What is end-to-end encryption? A plain-English explanation
End-to-end encryption means only the people at each end can read the data, not the service in between. Here is what that really means and where it stops.
· 2 min read - Password managers
Is it safe to store passwords in a text file or notes app?
A passwords.txt file or a note on your phone feels convenient. Here is why it is risky, and an easy way to move to something safer in a few minutes.
· 2 min read - Passwords
How to make a strong password you can actually remember
Long beats complicated. Here is how passphrases work, how long yours should be, and why you only need to remember a couple of them.
· 2 min read - Sharing
How to share a password securely (without email or Slack)
Pasting a password into chat leaves it there forever. Here is how to share passwords and keys with a link that self-destructs after one view.
· 2 min read - Password managers
Password manager vs saving passwords in your browser
Browsers can save passwords for free. When is that enough, and when is a separate, end-to-end encrypted password manager worth it? An honest comparison.
· 2 min read - File encryption
How to send a file securely online: encrypt it before you upload
Email, chat and file-sharing links keep readable copies of your files. Encrypting first means whatever service carries the file only ever sees noise.
· 2 min read - Recovery
Forgot your master password? How password manager recovery works
With zero-knowledge encryption nobody can just reset your master password. Here are the recovery options that do work, and how to set them up before you need them.
· 2 min read - Two-factor
Where to store 2FA backup codes (and what to do if you lose your phone)
Two-factor authentication is only as good as your recovery plan. Here is where to keep backup codes and authenticator secrets so a lost phone isn't a lost account.
· 2 min read - Accounts
How to switch between multiple accounts on the same website
Work and personal GitHub, two Vercel teams, client Supabase projects: ways to use several accounts on one site without logging out every time.
· 2 min read - Encryption
Argon2id vs bcrypt vs PBKDF2: how a password becomes a key
Why password managers and encryption tools run your passphrase through a slow, memory-hard function, and how Argon2id compares to bcrypt and PBKDF2.
· 2 min read - Encryption
XChaCha20-Poly1305 vs AES-GCM: which encryption should you trust?
Both are modern, authenticated ciphers used to protect data. What the difference is, why nonce size matters, and why we chose XChaCha20-Poly1305.
· 2 min read
Put these guides to work
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- No credit card
- Zero-knowledge
- Free file encryption