New Yubico security keys let you use fingerprints instead of passwords (2024)

FAQs

Does YubiKey work with fingerprint? ›

The YubiKey Bio Series is where Yubico's hallmark hardware security meets a new user experience with fingerprint on device authentication. The YubiKey Bio Series, built primarily for desktops, offers secure passwordless and second factor logins, and is designed to offer strong biometric authentication options.

Some websites do this with a text or email code, but if you have a Yubikey and the website supports it, you can use a Yubikey instead of a text message or an email. Yubikeys can also replace passwords altogether and make for a passwordless login with the WebAuthn standard. Think of a Yubikey like a house key.

The solution: YubiKey + password manager

Using a password manager application is the best way to create and maintain unique and strong passwords for all your account logins, and protecting your password manager with a YubiKey is the most secure way to manage multiple digital credentials.

The YubiKey allows three different protocols to be used simultaneously – PIV, as defined by the NIST standard for authentication; OpenPGP for encryption, decryption, and signing; and OATH, for client apps like Yubico Authenticator.

The YubiKey has an integrated touch-contact that triggers the OTP generation. Generated OTPs are sent as keystrokes by the emulated keyboard, thereby allowing the OTPs to be received by any text input field or command prompt.

More businesses are replacing passwords with fingerprint recognition because each fingerprint is unique and remains unchanged for a lifetime. Biometric authentication provides a more secure alternative to traditional passwords.

You can unlock your password database on Android smartphones and tablets using your fingerprint.

While traditional 2FA methods like SMS and TOTP may have once been considered sufficient, they can no longer keep up with the evolving cybercrime threats. By adopting hardware-based 2FA devices like YubiKey, users, and businesses can significantly reduce their risk of being hacked or compromised.

OATH (Yubico Authenticator) - the YubiKey 5's OATH application can hold up to 32 OATH-TOTP credentials (AKA authenticator app codes).

Tap on phone. On a computer, insert the YubiKey into a USB-port and touch the YubiKey to verify you are human and not a remote hacker.

Is it OK to leave YubiKey plugged in? ›

Do I need to keep my yubikey plugged in all the time? A. No, you only need to insert your yubikey when you are prompted to do so during login. Leaving it plugged in could result in the yubikey being lost or damaged.

How long does a YubiKey last? The internals of the YubiKey's security algorithms currently limits each key to 30+ years of usage. The Yubikey is powered by the USB port and therefore requires no battery and there is no display on it that can break. The key itself will survive years of daily use.

YubiKeys can be easily numbered, tracked, and managed as a state asset. If a user leaves the organization, the YubiKey can be quickly and securely reassigned to another user.

But the security protocol for the Security Key and the Yubikey 5 NFC are the same, so it's not that the other keys are “less secure”, it just means that they don't offer that additional layer of security. It's really the difference between 2FA and MFA.

You should have more than one key and register them simultaneously; that way, if you lose any, you'll always have a backup. As a developer, using a device like a Yubikey might make your life easier, especially if you use WebAuthn.

Authenticator apps provide a layer of security and are a convenient option for use by many, but they are still vulnerable to phishing due to the 30-second window. Security keys, like the YubiKey, are considered to be both more convenient and more secure.

Feitian security keys come with most of the same security features and protocols as the Yubico options do, and they offer a variety of connectivity choices, including USB-C and NFC and even a fingerprint option. Feitian is also the company that makes Google's keys.

While one YubiKey is enough to get started with, I have several. Not only does this give me a backup in case I lose one (I haven't yet!), but if I pick a couple with different connectors (say the USB-C/Lightning and a USB-A with NFC), this gives me the flexibility to log into accounts across a range of devices.

YubiKeys require a user to be physically present, so remote attacks are impossible.

Can a YubiKey go through airport security? ›

YubiKeys are made of one solid and robust piece of plastic so are safe to go through airport scanners.

Yubico's YubiKey is built on a foundation of strong authentication. This robust resistance to phishing offers malware protection because it hinges on the ability to detect these attacks before they take place.

Biometrics are difficult to hack, but you can typically bypass biometric authentication by using a password. That means strong passwords remain crucially important. Fingerprints are the biometrics most commonly used, and can provide quick access to your device or important accounts.

Is there a way to use touch id without using the passcode? No. To even be able to set up fingerprint recognition, you must first setup a passcode.

Fingerprint recognition can confirm individual identity more accurately than facial recognition systems. However, this may change as facial recognition systems become increasingly integrated with iris recognition, another biometric authentication method with high accuracy.

Fingerprint locks are more secure than traditional locks because fingerprint credentials can't be lost, stolen, or misplaced in the same way that physical keys can. For this reason, biometric locks are one of the most secure types of commercial smart locks.

Sometimes, even with jiggling and fiddling, YubiKeys can fail to be recognized. Some of the desktops at his organization have both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports and for some reason, the drivers for the USB 3.0 ports struggle to recognize YubiKeys—but users struggle to remember which ports are which.

Our product's quality is top of mind for us and if your YubiKey is damaged we ask that you submit a support ticket with the following information. The order number or copy of invoice from when you purchased the YubiKey. A valid shipping address in the event we send a replacement YubiKey to you.

Does 1 password work with YubiKey? ›

Overview. The YubiKey and 1Password together provide an additional layer of security to your personal and business accounts. With two-factor authentication enabled with your 1Password accounts, you effectively protect your credentials and accounts from unauthorized access.

Should YubiKeys be reused? YubiKeys could be reused. There are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account when deciding on whether or not to reuse YubiKeys. Besides removing and reissuing credentials, tracking systems may need to be updated.

Yes, if you use the static password functionality available in the “YubiKey personalization tool” available on their website. You can set it to be in either slot 1 or 2, normally slot 2 is unprogrammed and slot 1 is programmed for one time passwords.

It is costly to design, mould, manufacture, sell and support a hardware product, even something as small as this. Since you don't want your 2FA company to go out of business there is good value in knowing they have a stable business model that can actually support a company rather than just burning capital.

The HMAC secret never leaves the the hardware key, so the YubiKey cannot be covertly cloned. There is no auxiliary XML file, only the database itself.

Where to store your spares. When your spares arrive, make sure to keep them somewhere safe but accessible – like in a wallet, file cabinet, or personal safe. If you choose to stay with one YubiKey, that's fine, but be careful not to lose or misplace it. If you do, you may be without access to your accounts for a while.

How can I safely remove my YubiKey? The YubiKey identifies as a USB keyboard to your PC, and does not need to be ejected when removed – you can just pull it out!

The YubiKey is an easy to use extra layer of security for your online accounts. A single YubiKey has multiple functions for securing your login to email, online services, apps, computers, and even physical spaces. key to trust. Login with your login credentials and the YubiKey to prevent account takeovers virtually.

YubiKey 4 Series

Therefore you cannot duplicate or back up a YubiKey or Security Key. For this reason, we recommend having a backup device and registering both with your accounts so that if one is lost or broken you can use the other to log in.

Yubico was founded in Sweden 2007 with the mission to make secure login easy and available for everyone.

Does YubiKey read fingerprint? ›

YubiKey Bio Series supports biometric authentication using fingerprint recognition for secure and seamless passwordless logins.

It's also commonly abused as a keylogger when those systems are compromised, and I created the xinput-keylog-decoder tool for that purpose. Since the YubiKey is essentially a keyboard, the first thing I did to start capturing its keypresses was to identify its ID number within xinput.

Many Bank of America online banking users that have a YubiKey, can now register their security key for account sign-in two-factor authentication (2FA) as well as setting up the Secured Transfer feature to add an extra layer of physical security to their online account.

Google Stopped the Scammers Cold with Security Keys.

That's when they handed out 85,000 security keys—the actual brand was Yubikey—to their employees and required every employees to use their security key every time they logged into their email or Google accounts.

Authy. Authy by Twilio is a universal 2FA app, available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and even Linux. It is also said to be the most trusted 2FA app and is free for users while businesses have to pay for it.

Certified Resellers have Yubico certified sales and engineering personnel trained on staff. Certified Resellers are authorized to resell YubiKeys to customers only in the specified countries or regions.

While YubiKeys don't directly share passwords, YubiKeys can pair with password managers such as Keeper, LastPass, and Dashlane that are able to securely do so. This way, families, businesses and even individuals can more securely share their passwords with hardware-supported protection.

The YubiKey secures remote access by enabling phishing-resistant 2FA or MFA for leading VPN applications such as Pulse Secure and Cisco AnyConnect, as well as other remote access applications, using smartcard (PIV), one-time password (OTP), FIDO U2F, or FIDO2 capabilities.

A Yubikey can be used for an unlimited number of accounts if you're using WebAuthn. You also have an unlimited number of accounts for U2F. If you're using your Yubikey for TOTP, you can only hold 32 accounts.

FIDO2 - the YubiKey 5 can hold up to 25 resident keys in its FIDO2 application. OATH (Yubico Authenticator) - the YubiKey 5's OATH application can hold up to 32 OATH-TOTP credentials (AKA authenticator app codes).

What is the life expectancy of a YubiKey? ›

The counter starts at zero and is incremented each time the device is plugged in. Two bytes for the session counter allows for 2(2*8) = 65,536 sessions. In other words, you can plug in the Yubikey three times a day for almost 60 years before running out of session counters.

The YubiKey 5 FIPS Series is a hardware based authentication solution that provides superior defense against phishing, eliminates account takeovers, and enables compliance requirements for strong authentication. This series of security keys are FIPS 140-2 validated (Overall Level 2, Physical Security Level 3.)

When users are logging in while Windows is offline, they will be prompted to enroll a security key for authentication, then use slot 1 on the Yubikey (tap the Yubikey for 0.3 to 1.5 seconds). YubiKeys support U2F mode by default.

The YubiKey uses FIDO2 and PIV to offer phishing resistance at scale supported by all leading browsers and platforms, and hundreds of IAM and cloud services. One of the most highly recommended techniques by security experts for fighting phishing attacks, is a hardware security key.

YubiKeys require a user to be physically present, so remote attacks are impossible.

Authenticator apps provide a layer of security and are a convenient option for use by many, but they are still vulnerable to phishing due to the 30-second window. Security keys, like the YubiKey, are considered to be both more convenient and more secure. Yubico also provides a use in conjunction with the YubiKey.

Insert the YubiKey Bio into your computer's USB port and set a PIN for your YubiKey Bio if the key does not already have a PIN. In the Security Key PIN field, click Add. Enter a security key PIN and click OK. To enroll your fingerprint, in the Security Key Fingerprint field, click Set up and follow the prompts.

Yubikey acts as a USB keyboard and will therefore be affected by a key-logger program when running in static mode. However, most online services with Yubikey support is running in OTP mode and are therefore not sensitive to key loggers.

Today I can tell you it is very much possible and easy to do so. I ordered a USB to lightning port adapter to test with my Yubikey 4 series. Once I had setup a alphanumeric code on my yubikey I proceeded to test it to unlock my iphone and it worked with no issues at all!.

How do I enable fingerprint? ›

Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Tap Add a Fingerprint. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If your YubiKey cannot be recognized on either an iOS or Android device, the issue may be with the YubiKey itself. Check your YubiKey configuration settings and be sure that the NFC reader on your mobile device is enabled. You can also check your YubiKey's warranty.