this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2023
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What authenticator app do you use? How do you backup? Any open source self hosted options?

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I use Bitwarden (I know opinions are split when it comes to passwords and 2FA being in separate apps). But I like the convenience of it all being in one platform.

I also like Raivo, you can import/export them too.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can set Bitwarden to require your master password for higher security logins. I keep a separate vault for work and personal things... Everything in my work vault requires it's master password to use them. The OTPs are useless without credentials, and you need the master password to get at those even when the vault is unlocked. YMMV but to me, this was "good enough" to ensure a separation of concerns between low and high risk.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I use bitwarden and only put totp codes in it for “low risk” uses. Like say…a Reddit account.

Thinks like email accounts or ones associated to bank etc I keep in google Authenticator (not synced to the cloud)

I also keep a spare phone with the google auth totp codes loaded in case I lose my phone.

At the service level I also keep backup codes or use a yubikey when possible. So even MFA at the account level often has options, even if it’s “my phone is across the room and I’m too lazy, backup code time”

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I have been using this https://github.com/beemdevelopment/Aegis Its great!
edit: I will add that 1password works well too. I use that for work

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I'll second Aegis!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I also use Aegis, it has worked well. For backups I have it export automatically to a folder that is synced to a cloud file service.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I second aegis

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (4 children)
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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Authy for OTP, Bitwarden for passwords.

As long as my provider shows some concern for the sensitivity of the data I entrust them with, I’m good.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I use Bitwarden for both passwords and TOTP. So much easier than messing around with multiple apps.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Yeah, that's my setup as well. Tech-savvy people tend to have an all-or-nothing attitude to security, but at the end of the day, as soon as you take some extra precautions like using a keygen or activating 2FA, you're already taking yourself out of the massive pool of targets of opportunity that hackers go for.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Same here, though I'm starting to move my OTP over to Bitwarden as well. Way more convenient - as a developer, I spend a lot of time off my phone. Makes more sense to let Bitwarden manage those so I don't have to pick up my phone as often.

I'm also slightly distrustful of closed-source Authy, whereas Bitwarden is open source and audited for security by third parties.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I didn’t even know bw could do otp?? I’ll have to look into that

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Aegis for OTP, Bitwarden with backups from the subscription for passwords.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I was on Authy, but painfully migrated to Aegis. I keep a backup on my NAS just in case.

I think Authy was the better app, and good with it working on my PC, but Aegis is more secure so that won.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Aegis is a good one for Android. I use the totp field in my keepassdx database that I open with a password (or fingerprint) and my yubikey to store my auth codes. I use this with syncthing running on a raspberry pi so it syncs the password database across my phone and all my computers.

Edit: initially said keepassXC I meant keepassdx for the mobile app. Xc is the desktop version.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I use Aegis, which automatically backs up with each change to the database to a folder that gets synced to a couple of different computers via syncthing.

For backup codes, I have a separate keypass database that's backed up to a couple of places. I thought about using Bitwarden for this backup, but having my 2FA backups in the same place as my passwords kinda defeated the point, IMO.

Anyway, this system has worked well for me.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I use andOTP but I didn't realize it wasn't in active development. I might give aegis a try. I have a yubikey and once I get a second one I may move everything to that.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I switched from andOTP to Aegis when I found out about the development and I actually like it more! I was able to import all my saved credentials easily.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

I use Vaultwarden server with the Bitwarden app for all passwords and 2fa keys in one app

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Yubico Authenticator and Aegis depending on the importance of the account. I have a secondary Yubikey for quick access backups and a keepass database exclusively for my TOTP keys that I backup to my nextcloud server in real time with versioning. Similarly, I backup my Aegis backups with the nextcloud app.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

2FAS, because it's fucking beautiful (UI, dark mode, lovely site logos). It has a couple backup options. Also using Bitwarden (paid feature) for less important sites; it's quicker but I prefer my 2FA truly separate from passwords.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I use andOTP, but will soon be switching to Aegis as andOTP is no longer updated.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Another vote for bitwarden. They have self host options. I use vaultwarden to self host it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I use Aegis for important apps and store all non-critical ones in vaultwarden. It's a good trade-off in my opinion of having the convenience for less important things but still be secure and not having a single point of compromise for my critical, sensitive apps.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Aegis on my phone and also Keepassxc on desktop.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

iOS now lets you authenticate from within the OS. This is super convenient in the Apple ecosystem, though I’m not sure if it’s the best for security. I do keep my iCloud now fully encrypted.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Yubico Authenticator + nfc yubikeys

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Only downside with Yubikeys is that you can't really have backups. The solution is to have two of them, and add the 2FAs to each of them every time you sign up for a new account. It does mean you pretty much can't have offsite backups though.

Personally I keep a USB-A with NFC one on my keyring and then a UISB-C one at my desk, which covers every device I have.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Raivo OTP for iOS. Open-source and allows easy exporting for backup or migration. I previously felt stuck on Authy but used Raivo's migration guide.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I was going to mention this as well. I went from Google, to Authy, to Raivo OTP and never looked back. Their sync system is great too.

They have a website too with more articles as well https://raivo-otp.com/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Another upvote for Raivo!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

An nfc enabled Yubikey so I can use it with my phone and computer

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Keepassxc Database with keepassxcxc and yubikey :)

The Moment i learned that i can use totp with keepassxc killed aeges for me :)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I've started using Ente Auth, I like it's design and how it shows you the "next" code in case the current one is about to expire. It's on F-Droid

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I usually just use KeePassXC, which is open source and self hosted (kinda). It's synced over onedrive, though something like syncthing would work fine too.

No backups per-se, but onedrive should handle accidentally deleted files, and the database is on a few machines anyway so the chances of anything permanently happening to all copies are rather slim.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I use keepass (yes, i am fully aware having the password and second factor together is bad). The only defense i have is that my database is never uploaded to the cloud and is synced either via flash drive or syncthing. Also my master password is over 20 characters with lower, capital, numbers, and symbols.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I use Microsoft Authenticator. I hadn't looked into open source options at the time when I needed one and it was the most immediately apparent alternative to the Google Authenticator on the Play Store.

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