• What is a Smart Card? How does smart card authentication work? Smart card authentication requires two things: the smart card itself and a pin entered by the user. With smart cards there are two different ways to authenticate yourself into a system, there is either contact or contactless smart card readers. With contact cards, the embedded chip is inserted into […] Read more
• What is authentication assurance? What is authentication assurance level 3? The NIST is on version 3 of the Authentication Assurance levels, called Authentication Assurance Level 3 (AAL3). Authentication Assurance relies on examination of the cryptographic modules of an authenticator. Level 3 requirements (AAL3) means that the code is within a tamper-proof container so that keys used in the cryptography are destroyed […] Read more
• Smart card drivers and tools The smart card drivers and tools work on all YubiKeys except for the Security Key Series. macOS Smart Card Applications and Tools Use the YubiKey Manager to pair your YubiKey with your macOS user account for local login. Windows Smart Card Applications and Tools IT administrators can set up their Windows domain to allow YubiKeys to be […] Read more
• PIV Compatible Smart Cards About the YubiKey and smart card capabilities YubiKey 5 NFC, YubiKey 5 Nano, YubiKey 5C, and YubiKey 5C Nano provide Smart Card functionality based on the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) interface specified in NIST SP 800-73,”Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV.” Performs RSA or ECC sign/decrypt operations using a private key stored on the […] Read more
• YubiKey secures remote workers during COVID-19 as government-approved alternative to PIV and CAC cards In the matter of just one week, Google reported that it saw more than 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19. That’s an astonishing number, and one that is not likely to slow down any time soon. For organizations across the globe, it is imperative to quickly, securely, and affordably fill existing […] Read more
• What’s new in Yubico PIV Tool 2.0? New open authentication standards, FIDO2 and WebAuthn, have been getting a lot of attention lately with tech giants like Apple joining industry adoption. As a core creator of these standards, we celebrate these milestones, but our mission here at Yubico is to make a safer internet for all. In addition to driving new open web […] Read more
• Modernizing authentication for US federal government agencies For years, both the public and private sector have faced similar challenges when securing the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad) of their information systems. Older technologies and policies have historically conflicted with business/organizational objectives when striving for high security. Today, advancements in cryptography and the adoption of newer, improved open standards are eliminating usability […] Read more
• YubiKey Smart Card Support For macOS Sierra Have you ever wanted to use your YubiKey to protect your Mac? Starting today, PIV-enabled YubiKeys can be used to log in to your Mac and your Keychain on macOS Sierra without complex configurations or software. Up until the release of Mac OS X Lion (10.7) in July 2011, Apple included native support for login […] Read more
• YubiKey 4 has fresh look, attestation capabilities The smallest YubiKey 4 is getting a facelift, and both form factors have new trust capabilities that validate device type, manufacturer, and generated key material. The new YubiKey 4 Nano takes on a “molded” form factor, which makes it impossible to insert the Nano in backwards, and provides a waterproof environment. The YubiKey 4 and […] Read more
• Webinar showcases Centrify’s ID platform, YubiKey support Yubico’s partner Centrify has built one of the best showcases for the YubiKey’s multi-protocol versatility. With support for Personal Identity Verification (PIV)-based capabilities, one-time passwords (OTP), and mobile authentication, Centrify is the first identity and access management (IAM) platform to support such a deep lineup of protocols using a YubiKey. Centrify will detail and demo […] Read more