In this blog post we will deep dive into creating PGP keys using our Yubikey. As always, a little bit of history about PGP (Pretty Good Privacy): it is a software which was originally written by Phil Zimmermann in 1991. PGP uses hashing, data compression, symmetric-key cryptography and public-key cryptography to encrypt and decrypt information. The most common usage of PGP is to encrypt emails, however, PGP can also be used to encrypt files, directories, disk partitions, file signing and document verification.
In this second part of the Yubikey blog series we will deep dive into 2FA: 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) is a security process which adds an additional layer of security into online accounts and authentication mechanisms. To authenticate that you are who you claim to be, there are three factors: You know something (password) You have something (a security card) You are something (biometrics – faceID, fingerprint) The 2FA is typically used because you have something that you can prove belongs to your persona.
Most of you folks are already aware of password authentication and MFA (Multi Factor Authentication). Just a little bit of history: the first password was used in the Compatible Time-Sharing System at MIT in 1961. The MFA, however, was introduced later in 1986 with the first RSA Tokens, and recently MFA has become widely used among consumers. According to MFA digital authenticator company Duo’s annual State of the Auth Report, two-factor authentication has become notably more prevalent over the last two years, with 79% of respondents reporting having used it in 2021, compared to 53% in 2019 and 28% in 2017.