🔑 Since 2012, there has been a quest to replace passwords with a more secure authentication mechanism. Passwords have issues such as being hard to remember, frequent compromises, and phishing attacks.

🔐 Two-factor authentication (2FA) combines something you know (password) with something you have (like a Yubikey). Many tech companies now require hardware tokens for authentication.

🧪 A study was conducted to evaluate the usability of Yubikeys, focusing on Yubikey Neo and Yubikey Nano. The study involved 31 participants in a lab setting and 25 participants in a longitudinal study.

📊 In the lab study, participants had 55 minutes to learn about Yubikeys and 15 minutes to set them up on Google, Facebook, and Windows 10 accounts. The success rates were:

• Google: 83%
• Facebook: 70% (many failed to enable 2FA)
• Windows 10: 5 out of 19 successfully set it up

📝 Participants reported confusion about testing their new authentication mechanisms, which contributed to lower success rates.

🔍 Feedback indicated a need for better instructions, clearer UI, and video tutorials. The overall usability score was 50, below the acceptable threshold.

📅 In the longitudinal study, participants used Yubikeys for four weeks. They appreciated the ease of use but still noted room for improvement. The usability score improved to the 70s.

🔄 Participants expressed challenges in sharing accounts due to the nature of Yubikeys, which do not allow remote authentication. Concerns about losing the small Yubikey Nano were also noted.

💡 Key takeaways include the need for standardized setup processes, clear success indications, and the potential for Yubikeys if setup usability is improved. The study's results were well-received by Yubico, indicating a positive trend in usability enhancements.

❓ Questions were raised about the impact of prior experience with Yubikeys in workplace settings, suggesting that familiarity could improve usability outcomes.