Supremely easy-to-use hardware for multi-factor authentication
Losing control of your online accounts after a data breach is a nightmare scenario, but hardware security keys, such as the Yubico Security Key C NFC ($29, as tested), are effective tools for keeping bad actors at bay. The Security Key C NFC supports the latest multi-factor authentication (MFA) options, and it stores passkeys. Best of all, it delivers Yubico’s signature high-quality design at a fraction of the cost of the professional-level YubiKey line. That earns the Security Key C NFC an Editors’ Choice award and our highest score. Yubico’s Security Key Line
The Security Key NFC line is available in two flavors: USB-A, which features an unshielded USB-A connector and retails for $25, and USB-C, which has a USB-C connector and costs $29. This review focuses on the USB-C model, known as the Security Key C NFC.
The USB-A and USB-C model designs are nearly identical, aside from their connectors. Both are rated IP68, meaning they are dustproof and protected against immersion in water.
It’s hard to tell the Security Key C NFC from its more expensive cousin, the YubiKey 5C NFC. On the back of the Security Key C, the word « FIDO » is printed in white, while the YubiKey 5C NFC features a tiny QR code and numbers printed on its backside.
The front of the Security Key C NFC has a hole punched out of the plastic housing and is reinforced with metal for hanging on a keychain or lanyard. Below that, the key feature is a gold-colored metal disk emblazoned with the letter « Y ».
