Passphrase Management

Best practices for creating, storing, changing, and recovering your ExpertMD encryption passphrase.

Passphrase Management

Your passphrase is the key to all your encrypted data on ExpertMD. This guide covers best practices for creating a strong passphrase, storing it safely, and what to do if you lose it.

Creating a strong passphrase

A strong passphrase should be:

• Long — At least 12 characters, but 16+ is better
• Complex — Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters
• Memorable — Something you can recall without writing it on a sticky note
• Unique — Not used for any other service or account

Good passphrase examples

• Expert2024!CaseReview — Combines a relevant word, year, symbol, and phrase
• My3rdFloor$Office! — Personal and memorable with complexity
• Sunrise#Mountain42! — Random but memorable word combination

Bad passphrase examples

• password123 — Too common and simple
• expertmd — Based on the platform name, easily guessable
• 12345678901234 — No complexity, just numbers

Storing your passphrase

ExpertMD cannot recover your passphrase. If you lose it, all encrypted data is permanently inaccessible. Store your passphrase in at least one of the following secure locations.

Recommended storage methods

Method	Security Level	Convenience
Password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, etc.)	High	High
Written on paper in a locked safe	High	Low
Encrypted note on your phone	Medium	High

Never store your passphrase in an unencrypted text file, email, or chat message. These can be compromised.

Changing your passphrase

You can change your passphrase at any time from Settings > Encryption > Change Passphrase:

1. Enter your current passphrase
2. Enter your new passphrase
3. Confirm and save

Changing your passphrase re-encrypts your private key with the new passphrase. Your case data is not re-encrypted — only the key that protects your private key changes.

Lost passphrase

If you lose your passphrase:

1. Your existing encrypted data is permanently inaccessible — There is no recovery mechanism
2. Contact support at [e-mail] to reset your encryption keys
3. A new keypair will be generated for your account
4. New cases created after the reset will work with your new passphrase
5. Previous encrypted case data cannot be recovered

This is by design. Zero-knowledge encryption means that nobody — not even ExpertMD — can decrypt your data without your passphrase. This is the strongest possible protection for your sensitive data, but it comes with the responsibility of safeguarding your passphrase.

Best practices

1. Use a password manager

   Store your passphrase in a reputable password manager. This is the most secure and convenient option.

2. Keep a physical backup

   Write your passphrase on paper and store it in a secure location (locked safe, safe deposit box).

3. Never share your passphrase

   ExpertMD staff will never ask for your passphrase. If someone asks for it, it is a phishing attempt.

4. Lock your vault when away

   Manually lock your encryption vault when stepping away from your computer, especially in shared environments.