# Back Up Organization Keys

It is crucial that you back up your private keys after you activate your Fordefi account. A backup will allow you to retain access to your private keys in either of the following cases:

- You lose access to all the mobile devices in your organization on which the Fordefi app has been installed.
- You wish to use your private keys independently of Fordefi. Doing so protects you even in the unlikely event that something unforeseen happens to the key material on the Fordefi side.


Back up within seven days
After you activate your organization, you are required to perform a backup of your private keys within  seven days. If seven days have elapsed without a backup, your organization will be temporarily prevented from creating transactions or vaults until you complete the backup.

## Backup methods

Fordefi provides admins with four quick and easy methods to back up an organization's private keys:

- **Use Recovery Phrases**: With this method, two admins are designated to each create and hold a recovery phrase. The two phrases are required to recover an organization's private keys. [Learn more](/user-guide/backup-and-recover-private-keys/backup-private-keys-phrases).
- **Use Public Key Upload**: With this method, you can use a backup key that was created on an air-gapped machine. You upload the public key to Fordefi, while the private key remains on the air-gapped machine. [Learn more](/user-guide/backup-and-recover-private-keys/backup-private-keys-upload).
- **Use Coincover**: With this method, you use CoinCover's service to securely back up your Fordefi workspace. CoinCover generates and stores a private RSA key needed to decrypt your encrypted backup file containing your MPC shares, while you upload the corresponding public key to Fordefi. [Learn more](/user-guide/backup-and-recover-private-keys/backup-private-keys-coincover).
- **Using Station70**: With this method, you use Station70's Bunker service to securely back up your Fordefi workspace. Station70 generates and stores the private key needed to decrypt your MPC shares, while you upload the corresponding public key to Fordefi. [Learn more](/user-guide/backup-and-recover-private-keys/backup-private-keys-station70).


[Learn about the recovery process in detail](/user-guide/recovery).