No matter if you've been in crypto for 10 days or 10 years these are the best ways to keep your crypto secure. Your recovery phrase are the keys to the kingdom, they are also referred to as "seed phrase" or "secret phrase". No matter what you call them, those 12-24 random words are the only thing keeping your crypto safe.
- Never share your wallet recovery phrase with anybody.
- Never store your wallet recovery phrase digitally (phone, computer, digital picture, etc)
- It's best to write them down on paper and store in a safe place (fire safe, safety deposit, etc)
- Do not connect your wallet to any application for an extended period of time. Do what you need to and then disconnect it.
- Do not store your crypto on exchanges for extended periods of time. If the exchange gets hacked then your crypto is at risk.
- Storing your crypto on a hardware wallet is best, it requires physical control of your wallet prior to withdrawing crypto from your account.
If you purchase a hardware wallet, only do so from official websites. Ledger and Trezor are good options, with plenty others coming onto the market.