Picked a hardware key over a password manager app for my work accounts after my boss got phished twice last quarter

My boss clicked on a fake Microsoft login link back in March and then again in June. Same thing both times. He used LastPass too but still managed to type his master password into a spoof page. I went with a YubiKey instead for our team credentials. Cost about $45 for the key but now I just tap it on my phone or laptop and it logs me in. No typing passwords at all. Has anyone else gone the hardware route and regretted not having backup access when you forget the key at home?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden72026d ago

Have you tried keeping a spare key in a locked drawer at your desk? I tossed a backup YubiKey in my work bag and never looked back after that first panic. Yeah, physical keys can break, but so can phones that run out of battery or get stolen.

victor_carr5426d ago

Hardware keys sound great until you're standing outside your office at 7am realizing you left it on your nightstand. Then you're either locked out for hours or begging IT to override MFA, which kind of defeats the purpose. Password managers with biometric unlock on your phone at least give you a fighting chance when you forget something. Plus, what happens when the key itself breaks? I've dropped a USB drive in a coffee cup before and it was done for. Now you're scrambling to order a replacement and resetting everything while your boss wonders why security is suddenly such a hassle.