Can I use a Yubico key in substitution of masterpassword?

mcbenefits
mcbenefits
Community Member
in Lounge

It would be nice if all I had to do is plug-in hardware and tap on it. My master password is long and a pain to keep typing.

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Comments

  • soshiito
    soshiito
    Community Member

    YubiKey is designed to be a second factor, not the only factor. With 1Password the only time it is used is when setting up a new device, and even then, only a limited set of devices are supported. Biometric systems such as Touch ID can help you type your Master Password less often.

  • XIII
    XIII
    Community Member

    If you only use 1Password on non-mobile devices you might be able to do it, but I'd strongly recommend against that.

    (You can program the YubiKey to output a constant string when tapped; this could be your master password... Super insecure though!)

  • ag_tommy
    ag_tommy
    edited July 2021

    I would recommend against it. Only the 1Password password is what protects your data. It's best to have it committed to memory.

    How to choose a good 1Password password may be helpful

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Community Member

    @mcbenefits As mentioned by @XIII, one option is to use the YubiKey in static password mode. To make this secure you could store the first part of your password on the YubiKey and commit the last 10-12 characters to memory. To avoid locking yourself out you should keep a record of the part of the password stored in the YubiKey and/or programme the same static password into multiple YubiKeys.
    Note that not all YubiKeys support static password mode, so check before buying. And the YubiKey emulates a keyboard, so you need to choose password characters which are consistent across all the devices you use.

  • ag_ana
    ag_ana
    1Password Alumni

    Thank you for chiming in on this as well :+1:

This discussion has been closed.