Review of YubiKey 5C NFC

Yubico has added a new family member to their YubiKey 5 series – the YubiKey 5C NFC, a 2FA authenticator. As the name suggests, the latest addition has a built-in NFC chip that provides you an alternative way to authenticate your account by tapping it at the back of your NFC-enabled device. Having NFC now on YubiKey definitely makes it more convenient to use.

Portability

The size (only 2/3 of an average index finger or smaller) and weight (almost nothing) of the YubiKey 5C NFC remains somewhat similar to the other YubiKeys in the same series.

Review of YubiKey 5C NFC - Your ultra-portable security key for your online accounts

Complementing its portability, the YubiKey 5C NFC also inherited the hole-punch design from some of the earlier models. You can hook it to a key ring and bring it wherever you go.

Compatibility

YubiKey 5C NFC is compatible with many popular service providers. They include:

Productivity and Communication	Google Account, Microsoft account, Salesforce.com
Password Managers	1Password, Dashlane Premium, Keeper®, LastPass Premium
Cloud Storage	Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive
Social Media	Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

It would have been nicer if it is compatible with more social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

Easy to set up

It is easy to set up the YubiKey 5C NFC. The steps are similar to the YubiKey 5C. The key difference is that instead of inserting the authenticator, you can tap it against your device. For my case, I set it up with my Tech Coffee House Gmail account. So, here are the steps.

Head over to your “Google Account” and select “Security”.
Under “Signing in to Google”, click on “2-Step Authentication”. Google will then prompt you to enter your password for your account before bringing you to the “2-Step Verification” page.
Scroll down and look for “Security Key”, under “Set up an alternative second step”.
Click “Add Security Key”. You will then be prompted to insert your YubiKey 5C NFC or tap it against your device.
Once that’s done, you are set. You may want to choose the option of trusting your computer so that you don’t always have to use the YubiKey 5C NFC to access your Gmail account.

Conclusion

There are two things I like about the YubiKey 5C NFC. One, the convenience of it being NFC-enabled. Two, there is no need to tap on the gold contact tip anymore! Yes, it might seem like a small change to the design, but it is a big change to my experience.

If you have not come onboard to use a physical security key to ensure that security of your online accounts, I strongly encourage that you do especially when we are losing track of the accounts we have and running out of complex and easy to remember passwords. Having a 2FA authenticator like YubiKey 5C NFC can help safeguard your information, giving you peace of mind even if there are attempts to hack your online accounts.