Yubico shows USB-C variant of YubiKey Bio with fingerprint scanner

Yubico has shown a YubiKey Bio with fingerprint scanner and a USB-C connector. This security key works with FIDO2, among other things. Earlier Yubico already showed a YubiKey Bio with USB-A connection. The company does not yet mention suggested retail prices or release dates.

Image via Yubico

Yubico shows, among other things, a demo of the YubiKey Bio. The company will also elaborate on the functionality of this new variant. This way it is no longer necessary to set a pin code with the YubiKey Bio. With the current YubiKey 5, which does not have a fingerprint scanner, this is necessary. Yubico also provides more details on the implementation of the fingerprint scanner. For example, it says that the fingerprint data is stored separately in its own secure ‘element’, which is intended to prevent digital and physical attacks.

The company indicates that the fingerprint scanner is currently supported by ‘some services’, but that this number will increase in the future. The keys can be used with services that allow passwordless login or two-step verification via FIDO2 on the WebAuthn protocol. Major services such as Google, Facebook and Twitter can do this, but the standard is still far from being used everywhere. It is not yet known whether the Bio variant also supports NFC. By using USB-C, the key can be used on many Android devices.

The manufacturer previously showed a USB-A variant of the YubiKey Bio. The company did this in November 2019, during a Microsoft Ignite presentation. This variant has not yet been released. The YubiKey Bio is still in a ‘private preview’. That is, the product is currently being tested by enterprise customers and partners of Yubico.

Yubico has not yet announced when the YubiKey Bio will be released on the market. The manufacturer also does not mention recommended prices. The regular YubiKey 5 NFC and YubiKey 5C NFC without fingerprint scanner cost 45 and 55 euros respectively on the manufacturer’s website.