YubiKey 5C NFC - Multi-Factor authentication (MFA) Security Key and passkey, Connect via USB-C or NFC, FIDO Certified - Protect Your Online Accounts

I have used a YubiKey for authentication at work for the past 3 years and while reviewing hardware MFA security keys did quite a bit of research of the various keys out that and the compatibility of the key with different solutions including the ability to authenticate with Windows Hello login, using passkey instead of BIO authentication and this one is one of the few recommended. Additionally, I liked the idea of using it with my cell phone as well and have setup many sites to use passkey authentication including ones like "login.gov" which supports and advocates for passkeys. Tonight I took the YubiKey out of my laptop and authenticated to a web site I had previously setup from my laptop with my mobile phone. I chose "passkey" for authentication then placed the YubiKey against the back of my cell phone with my finger on the touch pad and it immediately authenticated and logged it successfully. Now I can key from both devices once a key pair is setup for a web site so completely portable. You do have to enable NFC from your phone as it is likely off by default. I would buy this again and it works better and is a much easier and more way to login (authenticate) than passwords which are easily compromised. If I knew it was this easy and worked so well before I would have bought it long ago as the FIDO 2 keys have been available for a long time, it is just that many people do not know much about them.

Yubico is the best product to get to deter phishing attempts. I happened to learn about this great item through John Hammond on YouTube when he was covering the topic on phishing attempts. I never knew there was a physical key you can use to lock down your accounts. I have owned this item for well over a year and find it absolutely a necessity in today's digital world. The fact they you can use it as a passkey, security key or OTP is so useful. Please note you need to buy these in pairs b/c if you lose the one key where all your access is on it you will not get back into your accounts. It would be ideal to have at least three. I ended up purchasing the one that sits connected to the computer and use the keys if I need to access it on my mobile or on another device. It's durable, valuable in every way and functionality is off the chart!

The usefulness of this to prevent hacking and phishing attempts cannot be overstated. I am frequently targeted by hackers, but now, currently, I only lose my mobile Internet connection and not my identity. It is most effective on websites by adopting a zero-trust standard- avoiding the use of passwords entirely, never checking "remember me" when logging in on seemingly trusted devices, and always signing off when finished using a web account. The USB port can be adapted to a standard USB. It's portable designs allows it to slip in a wallet-phone case if you don't want to bring your keys anywhere. It's backward compatible with less advanced FIDO protocols, interoperable across all operating systems, and signs cryptographic challenges with near-instantaneous speeds. More websites and all banks should adopt FIDO2 as a means to make more of the Internet passwordless.

The Yubikey USB token is a game-changer for anyone serious about online security. This small device provides an incredibly simple and powerful layer of protection against phishing, hacking, and identity theft. Unlike two-factor authentication that relies on codes from your phone, the Yubikey uses public key cryptography, meaning even if a phisher gets your password, they can't access your account without physical possession of the key. What makes it so great is how effortlessly it works. You simply plug it into a USB port or tap it with your NFC-enabled device, touch the gold disk, and you’re instantly authenticated. There's no battery, no software to install, and no codes to type. The peace of mind this little device provides is priceless, securing everything from your email and social media to your password manager. It's an essential, robust, and user-friendly security upgrade that makes your digital life much safer.

It was easy enough to set up, and to add it to a couple of my accounts as the second factor, or as the passwordless authentication mechanism. It works great on my laptop and on my Android phone using the USB-C connector. It’s the NFC part that caused me to remove one star. I tried using NFC on both my iPhone and on my Android, and it’s quite finicky. The instructions say that I need to position the Yubikeys “behind the phone, at the top, near the camera”, but I have to keep it there and jiggle it around for several seconds before it’s recognized. I don’t think it’s because of my phone case, and in any event, my phone case isn’t some kind of an RFID-secure case - it’s pretty vanilla. If the NFC had worked perfectly, this would be ideal. Hopefully it will get there soon

This security key provides strong two-factor authentication with both USB-C and NFC options, which is great for securing multiple accounts. It’s built solidly and feels durable enough to carry around on a keychain without worry. I’ll be honest—the initial setup wasn’t super intuitive. There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve, especially if you’re new to hardware security keys or unfamiliar with FIDO protocols. But once you get past that, it feels like a reliable extra layer of protection against hacks and phishing attempts. I use it regularly now and appreciate the convenience of NFC on my phone and USB-C on my laptop. It’s a no-nonsense device with solid cross-platform compatibility. If you’re comfortable with a little technical setup and want to significantly boost your account security, this is a solid choice. For beginners, expect to spend some time learning how to integrate it with your accounts.

I've been using an older version of the Yubico key for a while now. This version is a really good upgrade from the earlier editions -- mostly because of the included NFC capability. I strongly recommend buying two of these at a time if you can. They'll still work, but having a backup stored somewhere safely can really make things easier if you ever lose your original. It fits on a keychain and I've never had a problem with the older one that I've had for about 10 years. The only downside to these is that not every website or company implements this as an option for 2-factor identification. It's simply bizarre to me that I can use this on quite a few websites with the extremely noticeable exception of *every* *single* financial institution that I do business with. (I know there are some banks that do, though). Once you set it up, it's easy to do. The only complaints that I get from most people is that it's just a hassle to have to log-in and take the extra 5 (maybe 10) seconds to pull out the key to log into your account. This is a must if you use a password manager. If all you're using is single-factor on your Dashlane or LastPass or 1Password you need to consider the extra security by taking this extra step (for whatever password manager you use -- and you really *need* to be using a password manager, btw). You do need to make sure to read the instructions which can be a little technical, but Yubico has a great set of tutorials that make it fairly simple (plus there are a ton of instructional videos on YouTube that are helpful as well). Or just get your techie friend to help. You don't really need to use this for every single website, and there are a lot of websites that don't use it, but for the ones where you have any personal or financial information, it's becoming more and more of an almost necessity. Before you buy, make sure to read up a little on how they work and that will let you know which one will work better for you. Overall, these are a great way to provide a fairly significant increase in your online security. Realize, however that it won't guarantee that you won't be part of a breach, but you at least can feel better about someone being able to take over your important accounts by guessing your password or stealing your phone/computer/tablet. If someone steals both, then all bets are off. That's why you keep the Yubico key on your keychain and your computer somewhere else. I'd recommend these for people who have a need for extra security online. Also, remember that (so far and contrary to what you may hear or read anecdotally), there hasn't been a single case where this type of 2FA has been breached when it's been used correctly.

Helps with hackers, it was unfortunately my own family, this is the only thing that worked.