The vibration of the phone at 3 a.m. feels like a heavy hammer smashing into the entire crypto world.

Since surviving the 2018 bear market, I have witnessed exchanges run away, contracts liquidated, DeFi projects wiped out overnight, and countless technical experts fall in the most inconspicuous places. Within the circle, there’s a tech guru who writes impeccable code, but because his wife accidentally clicked on an "airdrop benefit" link in the family group chat, his linked study abroad fund was instantly emptied. That day, he posted in the group: "I thought security was a technical issue, but I didn’t expect the vulnerability to be in human nature."

That statement hits hard.

**The truth about security: Hackers are not the biggest threat**

After being in this industry for a long time, you’ll realize a harsh reality—asset loss caused by human error far exceeds that caused by hacker attacks. A senior executive of a major exchange once publicly stated that most security incidents stem from operational negligence rather than technical vulnerabilities. This is not empty talk; it’s a bloody lesson.

Let’s look at the most common types of mistakes around us:

People who store mnemonic phrases in their phone notes or cloud drives often think they are very clever—believing this way they won’t forget. Until their phone is lost or their cloud is hacked, and they realize what true regret means. Their coins are gone in an instant.

Operating wallet transfers over free Wi-Fi at a coffee shop, with man-in-the-middle attacks hijacking your address, causing your transferred coins to go straight into the hacker’s pocket. A comfortable network environment results in asset loss.

Family members who know nothing about crypto casually click on links in groups or authorize unknown transaction requests. Just like the wife of that old guy at the beginning, a single action can destroy years of accumulation.

**Habits are the first line of defense**

My experience is that the essence of security isn’t about stacking more technical tools, but about thoroughly rebuilding behavioral habits. On-chain code can be audited, smart contracts can be tested repeatedly, but human nature—the most vulnerable line of defense—is the easiest to breach.

For this reason, those who truly last long have a few very disciplined habits: hardware wallets, isolated networks, dispersed storage, cautious authorization. It may seem troublesome, but in fact, it’s using each "trouble" to hedge against potential disasters.