{"id":55008,"date":"2024-01-03T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T15:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acc78d22-e343-4f93-aea6-4ab384240b07"},"modified":"2024-01-03T15:13:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T15:13:00","slug":"i-added-a-hardware-security-key-to-my-macbook-and-it-made-my-logins-faster-and-safer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/i-added-a-hardware-security-key-to-my-macbook-and-it-made-my-logins-faster-and-safer\/","title":{"rendered":"I added a hardware security key to my MacBook, and it made my logins faster and safer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"MacBook<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Jason Hiner\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the past few months, I’ve been alternating my laptop usage between a Surface Pro 9<\/a> (running Windows 11) and an M2-powered MacBook Air<\/a>. There’s always a bit of an adjustment when switching between platforms, but I found one aspect of the MacBook especially frustrating: After a restart, I have to enter the local user account password before I can use the TouchID fingerprint recognition hardware. Can’t MacOS work more like Windows Hello, which lets me sign on anytime using biometrics or a PIN?<\/p>\n

Also: The best security keys: Expert tested and reviewed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, yes, it can! As long as you have the right hardware, that is.<\/p>\n

Specifically, you need a USB security key that supports the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) standard and can act as a smart card for login purposes. As it turns out, anything in the YubiKey 5 series<\/span><\/a><\/span> from Yubico meets these standards. Now, I just happen to have a few of these versatile keys hanging around, so I decided to make my MacBook a little easier to use, with their help.<\/p>\n

Here’s how I did it.<\/p>\n

I started with a YubiKey 5 Nano<\/span><\/a><\/span>, which is a remarkably small gizmo that plugs into one of the MacBook’s two USB-C ports and sticks out just a tiny fraction of an inch. That’s it on the far right in this family photo of the YubiKey 5 series.<\/p>\n

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For any modern MacBook, you can use one of these Series 5 YubiKeys with a USB Type-C connector<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Image credit: Yubico<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I could have used a more traditional key that’s designed to be plugged in and removed at the end of a session, but I was especially attracted to this device’s capability to remain plugged in without my having to carry it separately.<\/p>\n

The setup process is fairly straightforward and is documented in this Yubico support article, “Using Your YubiKey as a Smart Card in MacOS.”<\/a> For these instructions, I assume you’re starting with a new hardware key that’s never been previously configured.<\/p>\n

How to set up your YubiKey on MacOS<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Download the YubiKey Manager app<\/a> and install it on the Mac.<\/p>\n

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\"yubikey-manager-app\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Click PIN Management to configure the hardware key before using the Setup for MacOS option<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Screenshot by Ed Bott\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Open YubiKey Manager, click Applications<\/strong> > PIV<\/strong>, and click PIN Management<\/strong>. Make the following changes:<\/p>\n