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by charcircuit 1133 days ago
If you are able to copy it off the laptop it becomes something you know. One important property about something you have is that you the owner of the account have that thing in your possession then no one can hack you. If someone is able to copy it then that invariant is not true.

Writing your password on a piece of paper doesn't turn that password into something you have.

1 comments

It literally does. Now whoever _has_ that piece of paper can get to your account. A physical piece of paper with a password written on it is no different from a physical key. Unless you're going to say that if you memorise the indentations on your house key then your key is "something you know" too.
If the attacker screenshots the note they can login to your account without HAVING that note. Yes, a house key is something you know.