Design Recovery Codes as Backup Authenticators

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Strong authentication creates a recovery problem: what happens when the user loses the device, key, or application that normally proves who they are? If recovery is much weaker than normal sign-in, an attacker can ignore the strong authenticator and target the fallback instead. If recovery is too difficult, legitimate users can permanently lose access.

A recovery code is a secret generated in advance and kept by the user for this failure case. It acts as a backup authenticator: possession of the code can restore access when the normal authenticator is unavailable.

Use Honeytokens to Detect Credential Misuse

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Many security alerts begin with ordinary activity: a login, an API request, or a secret being read. The difficult question is whether that activity is legitimate. A real credential may be used by several expected systems, so a single use often provides weak evidence of compromise.

A honeytoken changes that problem by creating an identity or credential that has no legitimate operational use. If something tries to use it, the event is unusual by design and can produce a high-signal alert.

Credential Security on Nalar

Design Recovery Codes as Backup Authenticators

Use Honeytokens to Detect Credential Misuse