# Securing your Secret Key

It is important that you understand how to keep good security for your Leather software.

Your wallet Secret Key or seed phrase is a cryptographic key with which you need to use the strictest security available to you.

The Cryptocurrency Security Standard publishes [guidelines for key storage](https://cryptoconsortium.org/cryptocurrency-security-standard-documentation/details/) (section 1.03). These guidelines are presented from least (Level I) to most secure (Level III). We recommend you store your keys with at least Level II security. This level states that you should:

* Backup each of your cryptographic keys.
* Store the backup in a location separate location from where you use a key. For example, if you use the key at the office, you can store the key are your office.
* Protect your backup from access by unauthorized parties. For example, a safe, safe deposit box, or lock box are good examples of protecting access to a backup.
* Employ some form of tamper mechanism that allows your to determine when if you key was accessed by someone else. For example, you could use a sealed paper envelopes with handwritten signatures over the seal as a tamper mechanism.

You are responsible for recalling and protecting your keys. The Leather team/company does not store your seed phrase and cannot help you recover it. If you lose your seed phrase, you lose the key to your assets, which can be a very costly mistake.


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