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High-privilege recovery credential that bypasses normal authentication; treat as a high-value secret.

Definition

Recovery codes/keys bypass normal auth, so they need strong storage and user alerts when used. Systems may require step-up checks after recovery for sensitive actions.

In plain English High-privilege recovery credential that bypasses normal authentication; treat as a high-value secret.

Why this matters

Why it matters: Recovery mechanisms are frequent takeover paths.

Example

Example: Store codes offline/encrypted, alert on use, and require extra verification for security-sensitive changes.