Yubico announces a new version of its YubiKey 5 security key. The combination of USB-C and NFC offers a lot of flexibility and is theoretically compatible with almost all future and current devices. Chances are that one of the two is in your smartphone, tablet or PC.
The current YubiKey 5 range consists of different flavors: USB-A, USB-A and NFC, USB-C and USB-C and Lightning for iOS devices. The new YubiKey 5C NFC ensures that you no longer have to choose between a USB-C connection or NFC. With the latter, you can simply tap the key on your device to verify.
A hardware key is a secure way of two-factor authentication (2FA). According to Microsoft, its implementation at the enterprise level takes care of that 99.99 percent of password theft attacks are blocked. 2FA combines something you know (the password) with something you have (in this case the YubiKey 5C NFC).
On your bunch of keys
A physical security key such as the YubiKey 5C NFC can be perfectly attached to your key ring so that you never forget it. It is a safer alternative to SMS authentication, where hackers can relatively easily ‘spoof’ your mobile number to intercept the security code.
If you think such a physical security key is too risky to lose, you can always add an extra step by means of an authentication app on your smartphone. They continuously generate secure codes to log in to applications together with your password.
Price and compatibility
If you want to roll out such a security key throughout the company, you can call on YubiEnterprise services. This allows you to efficiently register and send keys to employees as well as upgrade to new models.
The YubiKey 5C NFC costs $ 55, $ 5 more than the non-NFC version and works on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. If you order the key online from Yubico, you pay 75 dollars including taxes and shipping (converted 63.5 euros). You can also order the key locally at Secutec, CloudCom and 3-it.
Tip: What to look for in two-factor authentication
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