Yubico Strengthens Security with Updated YubiKey Series 5 Devices

Yubico is preparing to release updated versions of its YubiKey 5 series, Security Key and Security Key Enterprise Edition series authentication hardware that aims to help organizations move away from password-based protections. On MondayThe company announced that new security keys with updated firmware 5.7 will be available in late May, providing enhanced security features such as expanded access key storage and the ability to enforce more complex PIN configuration.

Existing YubiKey hardware cannot be updated with new 5.7 firmware for security reasonsthen users will need to purchase new keys (which currently start at $25 for NFC security key) to benefit from updated protections. These include business certificatecurrent FIDO2 standard protocols such as the ability to set a minimum PIN length and storage to accommodate up to 100 access keys, 24 PIV certificates, 64 OATH seeds and 2 OTP seeds.

“Organizations continue to face an increase in the variety and complexity of cyber threats at historic rates, often fueled by compromised employee login credentials, often resulting from attacks like phishing,” said Jeff Wallace, senior vice president of products at Yubico. . “These updates empower companies with the latest authentication advancements and tools to build targeted strategies to create phishing-resistant users and mitigate phishing threats to employees, external identities, and customers.”

New security hardware loaded with the new firmware will be released alongside updates for Yubico Authenticator 7, which includes a more simplified user interface, French and Japanese language support, and can be used to manage upcoming YubiKey 5.7 features. The new Authenticator 7 app is now available for desktop and Android, with an update for iOS users coming at an unspecified date.