If you’ve read one of my old post that is circulating online on Steemit’s Permission key and you’re still using your Master Key to sign in, then you’re essentially putting yourself at risk of losing access to your Account😱
I hope by now, you know the differences between a Permission Key & Password?
“As such, keys are something every Steemit User has, while passwords are something he or she knows”
What does it mean to have something?
The difference between a password and a key in this context is that a key is stored for you, whereas a password is remembered through Memory as you get to set it yourself
When signing up, each account will have a total of 4 permission keys which a user receives upon Account creation. What is actually known as ‘’The Master key’’ which is essentially the main password that was first used when signing up for an account
You'll notice that during the sign-up process a long phrase will automatically get generated for you, because no one likes to create new passwords, so people tend to go with simple options that are easy to remember
Unfortunately, that also makes them easy to guess, so Steemit Developers thought it's best to stick with a generated passphrase, that would end up being difficult to guess but you could technically set your own preferred password (not recommended)
Today’s, complex sophisticated password-cracking software quickly cycles through common patterns and can even be customized to incorporate known information about the user. Making your Master Key, a easy to guess regular password could possibly put your account at risk
To maintain security for the system and users, Steemit users require so called ‘’keys’’ to request permission before doing a specific action that interacts with Blockchain data and features. Depending on which permission key is used, Steem’s Blockchain may grant full or restrict access depending on which is used.
Why is the "Master Key" so Important
It’s the One Key to open all Locks!
The so called ‘’master key’’ is a special passcode reserved for certain sensitive account actions that won't need to be performed very often. For best security, I highly recommend that you NEVER USE your master permission key, do your best to kept this particular Password very secure and separate from your other passcodes.
Making use of the ‘’master key’’ does the following:
- Grants full access that bypasses all the restriction
- The master key must be provided for Password or Key reset
You should never ever share your Master keys with anyone since it grants them total control over your account, share your Permission Keys instead such as your Posting Key! Regular keys that can be created and revoked, allowing Steemit users to use their accounts without exposing their Master Key
Fortunately, Steem accounts uses a variety of "Permission Keys", if you like to learn more feel free to read 
