Three kinds of shibboleths: something you know, something you have, and something you are. Password, key/hardware token, and biometric. Or, as the joke among security folks goes, something you lose, something you forget, or something you no longer are (ever get a cut on your index finger?).<p>I’ve definitely heard of people having to do the kind of cold start Matt is talking about here. They had a bag stolen while bumming around South America, left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Mostly it just takes time for mail to arrive. A hassle that, as long as you have friends and funds, can be dealt with.<p>I feel like recovering my digital life after, say, a house fire, would be somewhat more difficult, but as long as I don’t forget every password, I could bootstrap for sure. It does make me wonder if I should get an extra yubikey and store it somewhere offsite…