We’ve shared lots on information during this online privacy and security series.
We are stacking the information in a way that hopefully makes it easy for you to take the steps necessary to protect yourself no matter what you are doing online.
So, if you have not already read our previous online privacy/online security info, here are the links so you can go back and get informed:
Online Security 101 – Protecting Your Personal Data Online
Data Breaches Put your Personal Info At Risk
Your Options Once Personal Data Is Compromised
Credit Monitoring & ID Theft Protection
Data Brokers – Who Is Collecting Your Data & Why
Think Online Security With Your Cell Phone
Take Data Security To The Next Level
It’s never been more important to optimize the way we do online transactions. What we’ve seen from our favorite websites and online banking is a failure to protect user privacy and security.
Password leaks, identity theft and poor authentication are problems that are only going to become larger in an increasingly online world.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies already avoid a lot of the inherent problems that banks face.
There is no bank, government, or organization in charge of crypto.
Using a YubiKey adds another layer of privacy and security to your online data to make you totally secure.
Why a YubiKey?
YubiKey is a form of data protection developed by Yubico and it’s used by many faces all over the globe.
Internet companies protecting their data, your grandparents doing banking and social activists wishing to protect their privacy from an authoritarian government (in which YubiKey donated 500 YubiKeys to the Hong Kong protestors).
YubiKey has zero account compromises in over a decade. Being a physical “key,” it cannot be remotely hacked.
YubiKey features one-tap, two-factor authentication using no passwords. This makes it easy and convenient while still being secure enough to protect your online privacy… ultimately much safer than the alternatives.
The Need For Increased Protection
The old ways of data protection simply don’t work.
Hosted wallets fall victim to many of the same faults that your banks and websites do. They have poor authorization and data protection that results in these big-name leaks you hear every year.
If you think your favorite website has the ability to secure your data, you’re mistaken…
Facebook just last year had three-fourths of a billion accounts leaked due to poor security.
Microsoft had 250,000,000 accounts leaked in the same year. Instagram had about the same.
Even the US Government had 200 Million data breaches this year.
Your banks and government aren’t safe from the simplest attacks, as many of these were due to trivial security errors or accidental publishing of user data.
Many people use the same passwords or variations of it on multiple sites, so a leak on one account could mean danger for dozens of other accounts, making these types of leaks especially damaging.
Desktop wallets fall victim to many of the same scams that the above do, especially due to phishing scams as most of your data can be accessed online.
Cold wallets, while safer than the other alternatives, are hard to use, making them unappealing for business. Their requirement of keeping all cryptocurrency offline also makes them inconvenient for a lot of situations.
Paper wallets, while arguably the most secure, can equally be considered the worst form of data protection available. They are easily misused and misplaced and can be accidentally destroyed at any time.
All of the above methods of data encryption for cryptocurrency have the potential for human error – either yours or the carelessness of someone you don’t even know.
YubiKey doesn’t. Take your security into your own hands.
How YubiKey Works – Not Just For Crypto!
YubiKey simply works as a flash drive that you plug into your device.
You verify your identity instantly by tapping the golden button on the key.
You now have access to all of your social media, email, password managers, banks and cryptocurrency.
It really is that easy. It even fits on your keychain!
YubiKey does this by creating a one-time password that verifies your identity on your favorite websites. Even for websites that don’t support the device, it allows you to store a normal password on the drive that you can use to log in automatically with a single touch.
YubiKey and Crypto
YubiKey offers many solutions to cryptocurrency concerns.
Billing itself as: “crypto for your crypto”
Cryptocurrency is already the de-facto “currency of the internet”
… it’s worth taking the plunge to keep your money secure.
YubiKey supports many of the largest crypto exchanges on the web.
Kraken, BitBay, Gemini, Coinbase and Bitmex are only a few of the big names that recognize YubiKey.
YubiKey protects your cryptocurrency transactions at the exchange level, protecting every type of currency you have all at the same time. It also supports a higher frequency of trades than a traditional cold-wallet built into your hardware.
Coinbase, one of the biggest endorsers of YubiKey, states one of the biggest reasons to use a YubiKey device is because of the frequency of attacks that steal user data, saying:
“While high-profile attacks on cryptocurrency companies make the biggest headlines, determined attackers know that the vast majority of theft is due to human error. Even the most vigilant security professionals can get fooled by phishing attacks, and phone porting attacks designed to intercept SMS verification codes still occur far too often.”
While someone can steal your password from your email or through text, it’s much harder to steal a key hidden in your wallet. Phishing scams steal from thousands of people a year, from innocent grandparents to high-level executives of big corporations. Using an encryption device skips that possibility entirely.
YubiKey for Business
Using YubiKey at a physical location would do everything to boost your business.
If you have a tech-based clientele, using YubiKey to accept Bitcoin transactions would help build and guard your reputation, leading to more customers.
YubiKey reduces the risks of cryptocurrency transactions builds name recognition and brand awareness while still protecting company data.
Not only is supporting YubiKey for your business the secure route to go, but it’s also convenient and easy. You don’t need any extra hardware to accept YubiKey. The one-tap feature makes it easy for your customers as well.
9 out of 10 of the biggest internet companies use some form of data protection similar to YubiKey, including Google, Facebook, GitHub and Salesforce.
“Yubico products secure access to computers, networks, and online services for thousands of businesses and millions of users in 160 countries. We are trusted by 9 of the top 10 internet companies, 2 of the top 3 financial, retail, healthcare, and research institutions globally.” – Yubico
Even governments use it, including the UK.gov and U.S. Department of Defense.
Adding YubiKey To Your Security Arsenal
In an increasingly online world, it makes sense to take a step to protect your online data and privacy. This is especially true as we move to Web3.
Using a YubiKey to protect your online data is the modern, smart way to go.
Your online privacy and security is something you must take control of. Your security into your own hands and protect your own data.
Interested in YubiKey? Get one today!
Disclaimer
The information provided here is for INFORMATIONAL & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!
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