Today is the day that many of our YubiFans have been waiting for — Yubico’s latest form factor, the YubiKey 5C NFC, is here! It’s the first security key featuring dual USB-C and near-field communication (NFC) connections in addition to multiple authentication protocols, including PIV for smart card login.
As one of our most long-awaited and sought-after form factors, we can’t wait to share in the excitement with you. Here’s just a few reasons why we love the YubiKey 5C NFC, and suspect you will too:
It’s the modern security key to work with modern devices.
USB-C connectors are growing in popularity, and many of the latest laptops and computers, from MacBooks to Windows Surface Pros, are making the switch from traditional USB-A ports. Meanwhile, the major mobile platforms — Android and now iOS — support hardware authentication over NFC for a tap-and-go experience.
The YubiKey 5C NFC combines both USB-C and NFC connections on a single security key, making it the perfect authentication solution to work across any range of modern devices and leading platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It’s the first USB-C and NFC-compatible security key with multi-protocol support, including smart card.
As part of the YubiKey 5 Series, the YubiKey 5C NFC is equipped with Yubico’s signature multi-protocol support. In addition to compatibility with modern standards like FIDO2 and WebAuthn, the YubiKey 5C NFC can also be leveraged as a smart card — a feature that is beneficial for hundreds of enterprises and particularly those within the government sector.
The full range of multi-protocol support includes: FIDO2 and WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, PIV (smart card), OATH-HOTP and OATH-TOTP (hash-based and time-based one-time passwords), OpenPGP, YubiOTP, and challenge-response. This flexibility is an invaluable benefit, specifically for enterprises, as it allows one key to work across a wide range of services and applications ranging from email clients, identity access management (IAM) solutions, VPN providers, password managers, social media platforms, collaboration tools, and many more.
It’s the newest security key to secure remote work with ease.
Working from home isn’t set to disappear anytime soon, and even after shelter in place and social distancing guidelines are lifted, we’re bound to see an increase in remote work around the world. Companies are challenged with establishing trust with employees and their devices outside of the traditional confines of a secured office environment.
Security keys are the proven method to protect against phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks 100% of the time, and they come with the added benefit of being easy to use. One touch or tap to authenticate is all that’s needed — a significant benefit when most employees are struggling to balance the increasing overlap of personal and work responsibilities. With the ability to work across modern devices, the YubiKey 5C NFC is the perfect fit for securing your at-home workers with ease.
Looking to start (or add to) your YubiKey collection? Head over to the Yubico store today and order a YubiKey 5C NFC for $55 USD. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to add in some YubiStyle covers to personalize your key.
The YubiKey 5C NFC is also available for enterprise customers as part of our recently added YubiEnterprise Service offerings. YubiEnterprise Subscription and YubiEnterprise Delivery allow organizations to quickly and cost-effectively deploy YubiKey authentication at scale, regardless of employee locations.