
But the theory behind 2FA is combining two different systems of authentication from a list of three:įor example: a password, is something you know, and it should exist only in your head (or inside a password manager). In practice, two-factor authentication (2FA) means having to do a second thing after entering your password to prove it's you.

While there's a lot you can do with a hardware security key such as the YubiKey, its primary role is as a second factor of authentication. But if you're already steeped in security wonkiness, you'll love what the 5 NFC has to offer. If you're just looking for a simple hardware U2F option, the YubiKey 5 NFC is probably overkill-consider the more affordable Security Key by Yubico or the Google Titan Security Keys instead. But that's just the start of what this remarkably powerful, and remarkably tiny, device can do.


The fifth generation of the YubiKey supports FIDO U2F for a secure second-factor authentication and uses NFC to work with your phone. Thankfully, the Yubico YubiKey 5 NFC is here to protect our most important accounts and much more besides. Passwords have been the weak point of security since they were first introduced.
