Yubico YubiKey NEO - USB-A, NFC, Two-Factor Authentication

I've had the standard YubiKey for some time, but wanted to use the NFC feature for my smartphone for things such as LastPass. The NFC is a bit "iffy" on my particular phone (Sony Xperia T), as it does not always appear to read it right, which means I have to try a few times before it takes. However, it is something I can live with, particularly with the increased level of security that I now have. My key was already programmed to use both OTP + U2F. All that I needed still was a small extension to Chrome, and it worked as advertised. A note is that this extension is a "Pre Release" version at this time, but I've not encountered any issues -- keep an eye on some of the reviews of that extension, as it contains some useful information. A YubiKey comes with two "slots", one of which is always pre-programmed. The second slot, usually activated by a long press instead of a short press, is empty by default. This allows you to personalise that second slot for something like a static password (which could be used as a "filler" for legacy passwords, thus requiring the YubiKey to finish a password), OATH-HTOP or HMAC-SHA1 challenge response (which can be used with Yubico's Windows 2-factor login). The bonus with this key is that only one slot is required for OTP + U2F. This means that the second slot remains free for something else, essentially giving you a "3-in-one". When U2F is requested, you will be informed of this on the screen and the light on the YubiKey will blink slowly. Although it was pre-programmed for both OTP + U2F in my case, if you need to specifically enable U2F, then you will need install the "YubiKey Neo Manager", which is different from the "YubiKey Personalisation Tool" -- a simple search for these in any search engine, or Yubico's Support FAQ will give you the right links. I use this on both Windows and Linux machines (local and remote), and it has been working flawless. The one thing I would suggest is to have a second key, even if it is the less expensive standard key, as a backup.

Fantastic product. First, it is fantastic for OTP, for which I wanted it. You can change the keys and keep them on your server, so that the entire authentication process happens in-house and not at some other company's servers that get hacked outside of your control (as happened 3-4 years for a well know company that makes TOTP token that end up being much more expensive too). The interface as keyboard is excellent so that users don't need special software. The form factor is sturdy and fits on a key chain. The NFC ability is great for a phone or tablet with NFC and a tiny OTG adapter worked great as well if you don't want to splash on the NEO just for the NFC. The only downside is the lack of iPad4 and later support, but that's Apple's fault. The NEO supports U2F, TOTP, Challenge-response and Smart card as well, which will increase security but may require a little more client support. If you don't need smart card or NFC, then save a few pounds and go for the Edge version. The PGP signing is quite important for some applications for me, so I got the NEO. For other users, I got the Edge or Nano. I only wish Yubico will soon sell their Edge-n version here on Amazon.

I had done some looking into these yubikeys so I knew it would take some time and patience to set it up. You get your instructions from Yubico website and they have little programs you download to enable more in depth functions. I managed to set up logging into my Windows 10 laptop with a simple download of Windows Hello and its working great. Also have set it up as 2nd logging in verification with Google. I'm not big into social media but if you use Facebook and Twitter they have you covered. I'm disappointed that Amazon.co.uk don't use these security keys which seems strange because Amazon.com do. So how about it Amazon.co.uk! I'm sure these keys are a good investment for the future and the number of companies we can use them on will increase and then I'll really get my monies worth. Yubikey Neo also works with Android if you turn on NFC function but I haven't really dug into that much yet. For now I'm still using Google Authenticator for most of my 2nd tier verification logins. I'm not a power user in terms of scope of my computing or knowledge but with patience and logic I think I will get more out of this in time. I do recommend this security key but take it from someone in their 60s, if like me you are not really up on computer knowledge then be prepared to do some reading and watch some YouTube videos.

Does exactly what is says on the tin. Up and running on 4 of my Windows boxes and my Macbook Pro within minutes. Very easy to use, although the authenticator app could do with being able to create groups / categories, as with over 15 two-factor codes, the list has become fairly long and having to scan the list of all the items is a little inconvenient, but it doesn't make it a bad product. The app also has password protection for every time you activate the app (optional remember password) so adds an extra security layer to your codes too. If you're looking to start adding two-factor authentication to sites that you visit, then this is far more convenient than using your phone.. definitely worth the cash.

Not really impressed with this. It seems like a good idea but a company who will develop the user experience is need to move this forward. The key itself looks rugged and fairly well made but what lets it down is the truly awful and amateurish (Android) app. Some of the issues I have found are: QR scanner works about 50% of the time. Rotating the screen clears the list of sites (OTPs) Will not scan any QR codes in landscape The countdown time does not work so the only way to get an up to date OTP is to restart the app. Even if you enter a secret key one and touch the Yubi to your phone it will only work about 50% of the time, rest of the time it throws a communication error. Mine is going back to Amazon for a refund because this is no way worth the asking price.

Works well and is supported across UNIX, OS X and Windows. Having two slots is restrictive, forcing me to get more keys. I'd rather have one key with four slots and another as a backup. The static key length is sufficient for current use, however should at least doubled in order the make it future proof.

Very good functionality with the yubico android app, Windows hello app, NFC and USB, its highly user friendly with the reassuring green flashing light you always know its powered an working. The durability as far as I can tell is pretty much perfection there is just one gripe I have with it and that is the price... £45 is a lot of money especially when you need to buy at least 2 of them to take advantage of the full functionality and stop using your phone number all together so you have a backup in case one goes missing.. If they were say £30 instead I'd be tempted to purchase more and have them in different rooms or buildings as well as on my key chain.

I had high expectations. I am a layperson when it comes to tech, definitely not a tech geek. I thought I could use it to improve the security on my desktop and set up practical / convenient 2FA on a number of services via my mobile phone. Whilst I am still exploring its potential, my initial reaction is that it doesnt live up to my expectations. Whilst it is reasonably straightforward to set up, it is not as easy as I was expecting - it was a bit fiddly at times, e.g. I had to use Chrome rather than my usual browser. As some other reviewers have pointed out, I think more comprehensive instructions might help. One of my expectations was to set up 2FA on my windows desktop, but I discovered that I can only use it as another alternative to password or pin, so not 2FA. Doing a search on the internet, the question of why someone would want to set up 2FA on a desktop seems to arise quite frequently, so perhaps my initial expectation was misguided here. The NFC functionality is very weak. I managed to set up some services with 2FA using the Yubikey Authenticator. However, I would say that perhaps more than 95% of the times I present the Yubikey to my mobile phone, I get an "Error in Yubikey communication" message. I think i have seen either in some of the previous reviews or perhaps some of the forum discussions, that the NFC is so weak and that even a standard mobile phone case might mean that the Yubikey cant be placed sufficiently close to the mobile phone to provide a good connection. For me, this was a very disappointing discovery. Whilst I can see some potential uses (for me) for some of the other functionality, e.g. static passwords, OTP etc, which I have yet to explore, so far, overall, it has fallen significantly short of my expectations. With the above in mind, the price seems a bit high. If I had known at the time of purchase, what i know now, I probably wouldn't have purchased it.