# How 1Password Protects You — 1Password and Secrets Hygiene for Developers

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/secrets-hygiene/pm-1password-security

> Explain end-to-end encryption, the master password and the Secret Key, and why the Emergency Kit matters.

## Two secrets, not one

1Password encrypts your data on your device before it syncs. To unlock an account you need your **master password** (that you remember) and a **Secret Key** (a long random value stored on your devices). Even if the server were breached, attackers get only encrypted data.

## One key unlocks the vault

Your master password and Secret Key unlock an encrypted vault; the service never sees your plain data.

![Three stages: unlock, decrypt, autofill.](assets/figures/secrets-hygiene/section-2-map.svg) — Figure 2.1 — Unlock, decrypt, autofill.

## Save the Emergency Kit

The Emergency Kit is a PDF with your Secret Key. Print it and store it somewhere safe, such as a locked drawer. 1Password cannot recover your master password for you, so losing both can lock you out for good.

## A bank locker

A bank locker needs two keys: yours and the bank's. Neither alone opens it. Your master password and Secret Key work as a pair in the same way.

**Quiz:** What is the Secret Key in 1Password?

- [ ] Your email address
- [x] A random value that works with the master password to unlock the account
- [ ] A password for Wi-Fi
- [ ] A backup of every item in plain text

*Answer:* A random value that works with the master password to unlock the account. It is added to the master password so a stolen database cannot be cracked by guessing the password alone.