YubiKey 4C

A way to lock down logins

$50 Manufacturer Yubico, yubico.com Requires USB-C port (USB-A models available)

YubiKey is a means of verifying that it really is you signing in to your account in macOS Sierra, or popular sites that support so-called Universal 2nd Factor Authentication (2FA) tech, such as Facebook, Dropbox, and Gmail. Setting up involves setting 6 to 8-character PIN and PUK codes, and an optional strong management key.

A benefit online is that you can sign in as normal, plug in the key, then touch a contact on it to “prove” your identity, though the latter isn’t as reassuringly tied to your fingerprints as Apple’s Touch ID. Fallbacks, such as verification by SMS, are available. Safari doesn’t work with it, so you’ll need to use supported sites in Chrome or Opera.

YubiKey also works with Sierra user accounts. You can still sign in using a strong password if you want, but normally you’ll connect the key and enter your PIN. The key doesn’t affect Recovery, either, so a firmware password is still important to avoid circumvention. the bottom line. A reassuring (partial) compromise if your Mac lacks Touch ID.