Hi everyone, hope you're doing well and staying safe 😊 I'm running Sequoia on an M2 MacBook Pro. I'm looking for an accessible physical security key to use with my Mac for secure logins to things like internet forums and other services. What good accessible physical security keys would people recommend and why?
Thank you for your help everyone. 😊
Comments
It's already on your Mac
Seriously, few companies produce anything better and more battle tested than Apple's Secure Enclave, which is already built into all modern Apple hardware, so this is something that you don't need to be concerned about, and iCloud Keychain is built entirely around that on top of being totally free so just take advantage of the seamless integration. Modern Apple is no joke when it comes to quality hardware.
Here in the EU we can use our own citizen identity cards as smart cards on macOS, but this requires installing software provided by our respective member states that I trust far less than I trust Apple in terms of security, especially since such software often requires the installation of new certification authority roots.
Yubi Key
If you really want a physical device, Yubi Keys are a pretty accessible option. You just plug them into a usb-c port on your computer, follow system prompts, and tap a "button" on the device when prompted. They do have a light on them, but you don't really need to see it thanks to the system prompts and the capacitive "button" you touch is, for lack of a better way of putting it, indented in the case so it's really easy to find.
The keys will also work on mobile devices using NFC.
I've been involved with a project implementing these as a multi-factor authentication option and they work really well.
Safari
Safari also had settings that helps make web page secure. Do like Apple because is a close system.
YubiKey
If you're wanting a security key for two-factor authentication, as an above commenter suggested, YubiKey devices are easy and effective.
I have the UbiKey 5C NFC. It connects to Macs and iPads via a USB type C port, and iPhones via NFC.
Bear in mind, though, that if you want to protect your Apple account with hardware security keys, you'll need two of them. Apple requires at least two as part of the setup process.
Hope this helps.