What is a YubiKey?

The YubiKey is a multi-application, multi-protocol personal security device aimed at protecting an individual's online identity. YubiKeys currently support the following:

• One-time password generation
  • Yubico OTP
  • OATH-HOTP
  • OATH-TOTP
• Smart cards
  • Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card
  • OpenPGP card
  • YubiHSM Auth
• FIDO / WebAuthn
  • FIDO Universal 2nd Factor (U2F)
  • FIDO2

The YubiKey 5 Series

The YubiKey 5 Series security keys offer strong authentication with support for multiple protocols, including FIDO2, which is a new standard that enables the replacement of password-based authentication. The YubiKey strengthens security by replacing passwords with strong hardware-based authentication using public key cryptography.

What's new in the YubiKey?

FIDO2

All devices in the YubiKey 5 Series support FIDO2 / WebAuthn, enabling secure passwordless authentication on websites and applications that support the protocol.

NFC

The YubiKey 5 NFC brings NFC capabilities to the YubiKey 5 Series. All of the applications, including FIDO2, are available over NFC, expanding the options for quick tap-n-go authentication across desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. This makes the YubiKey 5 NFC an ideal upgrade for the YubiKey NEO.

Easier identification

The YubiKey 5 Series devices can report their form factor via the new management application. They can additionally report whether or not they support applications over the NFC interface. This enables easier, programmatic identification of the physical attributes of the YubiKey.