Your Keepic is the key to recovering the information safeguarded in Secrets Vault. But can any image serve as your Keepic? Not quite, but almost! 😉
1. Image Size Matters #
Your Keepic must be at least 50,000 pixels in size (for example, a resolution of 224×224). Why? Primarily for security reasons—to ensure sufficient entropy for the cryptographic protocol to function securely. These are relatively small images, so finding one of the required size shouldn’t be an issue.
2. Image Resilience to Modifications #
Your Keepic must be able to withstand the common modifications applied by social media platforms and messaging applications. Why? Because you may need to recover your information from the image you downloaded from Telegram two years after losing your phone!
Secrets Vault’s Built-in Image Checks #
To help ensure your Keepic is future-proof, Secrets Vault automatically verifies the size and quality of your image before allowing it to be used. If you encounter an error like the one below:
Oops! Something went wrong.
The image you provided as a Keepic doesn’t seem suitable. We couldn’t save your secret. Please try a different one.
This means your image likely won’t withstand the modifications made by social media and messaging apps, and we prevent its use to ensure long-term recoverability.
What Makes an Image Unsuitable? #
The main factors that can make an image unsuitable are:
- Size: If the image is too small, it won’t provide enough entropy.
- Uniformity: Images with large flat backgrounds or very few colors are less robust.
- Transparency: Transparent images or those with large uniform areas may not work well.
How to Check Before Uploading? #
A simple rule of thumb: Check the file size. If the image file is smaller than 30KB, it likely won’t pass the test.
3. What Makes a Good Keepic from a Non-Technical Perspective? #
Besides the technical requirements considered above, choosing a memorable but secure Keepic (image) is also crucial. It should be something you can easily recall in the future while being inconspicuous enough to post or share without drawing attention. The more places you store it (social media, cloud, devices, messaging apps), the more resilient your access strategy becomes.
Best Types of Keepics: #
- Personal but inconspicuous: A childhood photo, a vacation snapshot, or a non-famous artwork you love.
- Something publicly shareable: A generic family photo or an image from your travels that you’ve posted online.
- Highly memorable: A meaningful object, pet, or a specific place that has significance to you.
What to Avoid: #
- Sensitive personal documents: Don’t use your ID, credit card, or anything explicitly private.
- Internet-based images: Avoid using images from the internet unless you download them and share them directly with your recipients. You never know when they will change or be deleted.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure your Keepic is secure, resilient, and ready for future recovery when you need it most.
