CYBERSECURITY TIP: More about passwordless authentication - The USB Key

bykeimor

225 followers

4 years ago

Good Day, Wealthy Affiliate Friends,

In a previous blog post, I talk a little about passwordless authentication. Click here - https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/keimor/blog/cybersecurity-ti... to read more.

I don't know about you but I am tired of two-factor authentication. I know a lot of people won't enable it for various reasons and I will say that you are very vulnerable if you don't

A new authentication protocol has been in the works for a couple of years but now the major vendors are signing on to implementing the new standards FIDO/FIDO2.

Passwordless authentication starts with a USB Key. The vendor Yubico seems to be the leader of the pack. They have a good article on their website that you can read here - https://www.yubico.com/solutions/passwordless/.

The Yubikey you need is the YubiKey 5 NFC.

What is NFC and how does it work?

Near field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that allows two devices to transfer information to each other by bringing them within 4 inches of each other. NFC is a form of contactless communication that does not require any physical contact between two devices. It is designed for use with mobile phones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices that make payments and can be used for transit tickets, storing personal data

Every modern phone on the market has NFC built-in.

Introduction: Understanding the Basics of the YubiKey 5 NFC

The YubiKey 5 NFC is a USB-sized security key that protects access to your online accounts with strong authentication.

The YubiKey 5 NFC is one of the most secure and convenient ways to protect your online accounts. It has the same security features as the previous models, but it has an additional NFC feature that makes it compatible with mobile devices.

Here is an image of the different form factors.

What are the Advantages of Using a Security Key?

Security keys are a way to keep your personal information private. They can be used on various devices, including Android and iOS devices, as well as Macs and Windows computers.

Security keys are physical devices that plug into the USB ports of a computer or device. When you press the button on the security key, it sends an encrypted code to your computer which verifies that you are who you say you are.

Security keys can also be used to help protect against phishing scams. When someone tries to set up an account in your name, they will need your security key code in order to go through with it.

Your YubiKey can be used with many apps and services that require a security key, including Google, Facebook, Dropbox, Salesforce.com, and many more.

Conclusion

This is still a work in progress for me. I should be getting one of these from a friend who has worked at YubiKey. I plan on describing my adventures during this process. I have quite a few hours researching this topic because I want to get rid of two-factor authentication. More to come on this topic.

There are other USB keys that are cheaper I plan on describing these to you. I have learned how to create my own keys so I may do that in the future. Also, your phone can act as a hardware key and I am exploring those now but I am not getting consistent experience with that.

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Keith