Yubikey 5Ci Delivers USB-C and Lightning Connectors

Yubico today announced the latest addition to its family of multi-protocol security keys, the Yubikey 5Ci, which provides both USB-C and Lightning connectors.

“The YubiKey 5Ci fills a critical gap in the mobile authentication ecosystem,” Yubico’s Jerrod Chong says. “It is the first iOS-friendly security key on the market to offer strong, yet simple authentication over a Lightning connection, while still delivering a unified experience across other mobile, desktop or laptop devices. In an increasingly mobile-first world, where users are not tied to one machine, the YubiKey 5Ci serves an important role as a portable root of trust, proving that users are who they say they are, no matter what device they are on.”

Yubico launched its YubiKey 5 Series family of security keys in September 2018, adding support for FIDO2/WebAuthn in a variety of form factors. FIDO2/WebAuthn, as you may recall, is the technology that Microsoft co-created to help bring about its vision for the end of passwords. And in November, the firm did just that, adding support for password-less Microsoft account (MSA) sign-ins.

The YubiKey 5Ci brings this functionality to the iPhone, and it’s compatible with popular password managers such as Dashlane, LastPass, and 1Password, and with apps like Dropbox, Keeper Security, SecMaker, the Brave web browser, and more. The YubiKey 5Ci’s Lightning connection makes it compatible with all modern iOS devices, and the USB-C connection works with “nearly every USB-C equipped laptop or mobile device,” excepting iPad Pro.

The YubiKey 5Ci costs $70 and is available now.