It took two months from the first announcement for Yubico to finally roll out its new YubiKey 5Ci. It is finally here: Yubico’s security key featuring dual support for iPhones, Macs, and other USB-C compatible devices.
YubiKey 5Ci is the latest incarnation of Yubico’s security keys. It is designed to be one single device compatible with a newer range of products, including Apple’s phones, tablets, and personal computers. The company announced the device in June, promoting it as a security tool intended for cross-platform owners and more specifically Apple device users.
Sized as any other USB pen drive, YubiKey 5Ci is compact enough to be carried around on a keyring. Just plug it in anytime you want to log in to one of your online accounts and it will authenticate you, granting access to any platform supporting these plug-in devices as a second factor of authentication after user name and password. This is far stronger than any second-factor sent to your mobile device.
Yubico’s chief solutions officer, Mr. Jerrod Chong, explained that the new key will fill a “critical gap in the mobile authentication ecosystem”, especially considering the increasing number of accounts that users have to open and the fact that often users access these accounts from a multitude of different mobile devices.
Security keys like YubiKey 5Ci are an almost unpenetrable shield against several cyber threats, including nation-state attackers. The key works with several apps such as password managers and web browsers that support security key authentication like Brave.
YubiKey is available for purchase now at the Yubico store. It is the world’s first iPhone and iPad compatible security key designed to offer “hardware-backed authentication over a Lightning connection.”
The key comes also conveniently equipped with a USB-C type connector for maximum compatibility with Mac, Windows and Android devices and secure access to hundreds of supported apps and services.
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