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Forum Discussion
Yubikey vs Passkeys
Since Yuibkeys seem inherently more secure, shouldn't we continue to use those over the upcoming "passkeys"? It's confusing to me how both coexist and whether one might work where the other wouldn't....
Yubikeys are tied to the physical key that you must have with you on your person to be authenticated. Yubikeys are less convenient than passkeys but they can be more secure only if you need the security of a single air-gapped physical key. Typically, you register multiple yubikeys for each account in case you lose one.
My understanding is passkeys are similar to yubikeys except they are software based and can be synced to all your devices via the cloud. A passkey is much harder to lose than a yubikey, so you don’t have to set up multiple passkeys for a single account.
One example of where the physical security of a yubikey might be more useful than a passkey is ICANN’s 7 keys to the internet, which are used in a yearly ceremony and involves building an air-gapped PC from scratch. The security measures are super stringent for good reason, because those keys can be used to reboot the internet in an emergency.
So unless you’re storing nuclear codes or trade secrets, a passkey is probably more appropriate than a yubikey for most people.
