Hiding places for passwords and valuables at home

Date: Aug. 14, 2026    Categories: passwords , protections

A written passphrase hidden on crumpled paper

You cannot fully trust your memory to keep your most important passwords safe. They need protection. So do your priceless valuables, especially those small objects that you treasure.

Unfortunately, the objects in your residence cannot be 100% protected from thieves who could break in. So it makes sense to hide your passwords and precious possessions.

This post describes why some hiding places are safe and others are unsafe.

Use a long, memorable passphrase

I trust strong (quantum resistant) encryption. Whether a password can be cracked or not is the subject of another discussion. Spoiler: As a practical matter, it can never t be cracked

Commit to using long passphrases generated by your password manager. You will sleep better every time the headlines announce a new, scary breakthrough in affordable computing power.

In a later post, I will discuss issues relating to trusting people you know with information about hidden passwords and valuables. Here we look at options for keeping them safe from thieves who might search your home.

Write down you primary passphrase

A password manager, used correctly, will safeguard all your passwords and passphrases except one: your primary passphrase.

Your primary passphrase locks your password manager. Maybe you can remember your primary passphrase for the rest of your life. But what if you don't? The consequences would be severe.

We recommend that you write down your primary passphrase. Then you need a safe place for it.

Protecting small valuables

What are the small objects you treasure as mementos?

Some of them may have no commercial value, so you may not choose to hide them. But others may be targets for thieves. They need to be safely hidden.

Any significant amounts of cash need to be hidden properly, too.

Unsafe hiding places

1. Anywhere in the bedroom - It's the first place thieves search
   1. The sock drawer is a classic place.
2. Freezer - The second place thieves search. They've seen the movies, too.
3. Home office -
4. Pockets of coats in a closet

Safer hiding places

No place is 100% safe; however, those that are unobvious and time-consuming to search are the safest. House burglars

1. Old hollowed out book among hundreds of books - If you have enough books, choose one you don't need or buy one second-hand that will blend in. Carve out a space in the middle.
2. Waterproof container under a cactus in a pot - This place is inconvenient for any regular access. A plant that needs regular watering can be problematic.
3. A fake electrical outlet - It is a bit of a hassle to install, but effective.
4. A box inside an air vent grill - But the screws shouldn't show signs of scraping from recent use.
5. Taped to the back or bottom of a drawer
6. In a box of cereal or bag of rice stored with many similar containers.
7. Inside a hollow curtain rod
8. Inside a working wall clock, a diversion clock
9. Waterproof, weighted container in a toilet tank
10. Taped flat behind a picture frame near other frames
11. Inside a hollow furniture leg
12. Inside a finial, the end of a curtain rod
13. Under an insole of an old shoe in a pile of shoes
14. In the space under a light switch box if it is accessible - But don't touch any wiring!
15. False plastic pipe in the basementwith a twist cap - Lying next to other pieces of pipe
16. Waterproof container buried in the yard - Use capped plastic pipe and write down cryptic directions for finding it.
17. Frost covered meat package in the freezer.
18. Sew it neatly inside a stuffed animal.
19. A decoy stash of cash (5 x $20) and cheap jewelry in one of the unsafe locations.
20. In an attic away from the door in a sealed container.
21. A floor safe under carpet or heavy furniture, bed or dresser. Secure it with lots of screws.
22. A false back into a bookcase, cabinet or closet - A shallow hidden space full of books or dishes.
23. Split valuables across several spots and keep a decoy in an obvious place.

Paranoid yet practical hiding schemes

I am uncomfortable with my super-secret, primary passphrase written out on one piece of paper.

So, a practical scheme is to split the primary passphrase in half. Write the first half on one piece of paper and hide it following the advice offered here. Hide the second half on second piece of paper in another good hiding place.

The drawback is now you have two hiding places you have to remember. They are also vulnerable to a disaster since they are in the same building. You need another safe place for your primary password.

Distant safe places

A disaster could wipe out your residence and take all your possessions with it. You may not be able to fully protect precious objects. You can protect your primary passphrase and password manager.

Distant safe places include:

• Bank safe deposit box
• Safe hiding place in the home of a trusted friend or family member
• Safe hiding place where you work
• Split in half with each half hidden in multiple, accessible public places
• Some obscure place in a car

You need access to your primary passphrase located in at least one place at a distance from your home. That can allow you to access your web-based password manager if your home and all local password hiding places are destroyed or unavailable due to quarantine.