When a wallet may be compromised, the first instinct is often to move the funds immediately. Yet an improvised migration can create new risks: a wrong address, an exposed seed, an unverified backup or a poorly configured device.
A successful migration should be prepared as a complete security operation.
Confirm the scope
Before acting, identify what is actually affected: the seed, firmware, device, connected computer or only the backup procedure.
Changing hardware wallets without changing a vulnerable seed is not enough. By contrast, creating a healthy new seed on a verified device may solve the problem without reproducing the original weakness.
Build a clean environment
Use corrected firmware obtained from the official source and verified according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid tools received by message, web forms and emergency procedures promoted on social media.
The new seed should be created offline, without photography, screenshots or entry on a connected device.
Verify the backup before transferring
A new address should receive no funds until the backup has been reviewed and safely tested.
Check the words, their order, any passphrase and the information required for recovery. For multisig, also verify public keys, derivation paths, quorum and descriptor backups.
Verify the address on the device screen
The destination address must be displayed and confirmed directly on the hardware wallet screen. An address shown only on a computer can be replaced by malware.
Compare several groups of characters, not only the beginning and the end.
Start with a test transaction
Send a limited amount, wait for confirmation and verify that the new wallet can correctly display and spend the funds.
This validates the destination, backup and configuration before the main transfer.
Keep the old setup temporarily
Do not destroy the old backup immediately. Keep it until the new wallet, received balances and recovery procedures have been checked.
Once the migration is confirmed, remove the old secret from the operational setup and archive or destroy it according to an appropriate procedure.
Document without exposing
Documentation should explain device roles, recovery steps and authorized people without containing the secrets themselves.
A clear Custody Architecture reduces improvisation during a future incident.
Get support without giving up custody
GLOV Secure can help prepare the migration, review dependencies and structure backups without holding funds or retaining the seed.
To review a sensitive situation, request a security audit or contact GLOV.