How to Set Up and Use a YubiKey for Online Security
As we become more dependent upon online platforms for social and professional purposes, it grows increasingly important that we embrace stronger online security measures. One of the most important steps you can take to secure your online services is setting up two-factor authentication. This protocol — commonly abbreviated as 2FA — requires you to type in a password and also provide one other piece of proof that you are who you say you are before you can log into a service. One of the more common 2FA methods in use today employs six-digit passcodes that are sent to your phone via text message. When a unique scramble of numbers shows up on your phone, you type them into the browser along with your password at the login screen. Combined with a strong passphrase like those generated by password managers such as 1Password or LastPass, a 2FA login is quite effective at verifying your identity.
But no matter how strong a password is, or what level of code-based authentication a website is using, any system that sends codes in a text message can be compromised from afar by a skilled attacker. The best way to set up two-factor authentication is using a secure app on your phone to generate those six-digit codes, or to carry a piece of hardware that can verify your identity.
Find out more about what a Yubikey is and how you would set one up at https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-a-yubikey
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How to Set Up and Use a YubiKey for Online Security | WIRED These simple, battery-free devices provide an easy way to securely verify that it’s really you who’s trying to access your online accounts. |