Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Ashley Mann photo
Afghanistan, Kabul
1 Level
475 Review
0 Karma

Review on Yubico YubiKey 5C NFC: Strengthen Online πŸ”‘ Security with USB-C and NFC Two-Factor Authentication Key by Ashley Mann

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Good product, easy setup, slight design flaws

I bought this key to use for Google, LastPass and Duo MFA at my work place and it was positive to set up and use, a relatively easy experience. After a few days of use, I will probably reach for the USB-A/NFC version for everyday use and use it as a backup. My primary devices are a Pixelbook (two USB-C ports) and a Moto X4 running Android 9. The device seems to identify itself as a keyboard when plugged into the port. Touching the gold/brass contacts on either side of the key enters and returns a series of cryptographic characters. This is important because if you accidentally click on Contacts in Gmail, you'll get a bunch of pop-ups with new messages. I recommend leaving the key unplugged when not actively using it, as it's easy to accidentally touch the contacts, especially when removing the key: the most natural way to hold the key is to pull it out. Hopefully in a future release these contacts will be less likely to be accidentally hit. It's physically small and doesn't add bulk to my keychain, which I appreciate because I carry my keys in my front pocket and prefer to keep my key ring as small as possible. small as far as practical. I'm a little concerned that lint and dust will accumulate in the connectors over time and affect the quality of the connection, and I'm looking for options to cover the connectors. Keeping the USB-A/NFC version on the keychain and using this USB-C key as a backup seems like the most practical option for me. It would be great to see a durable, sealed version of USB-C with NFC in the future, which contacts can be covered when not in use. The instructions for Google, LastPass, and Duo were clear and well written. It takes a bit of initial setup, and all of these services have minor hiccups in the UX software, but Yubikey itself has done everything it should. The only major issue I had was that the Duo web app my employer uses doesn't recognize the Android version of Chrome, which means I can't use a mobile login key and less secure and less convenient push notifications must use. All in all I am satisfied with this purchase.

Pros
  • Best in class
Cons
  • I will add later