Apple’s making your logins even more secure.

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Soon, you’ll be able to protect your iCloud login with a physical key.

In the latest versions of iOS 16, Apple hasadded support for hardware security keys.

Metal USB flash storage Key on black Keyboard

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And just like in the physical world, if you lose the key, you’re locked out.

It’s a big jump in security and a major drawback for convenience.

The question, then, is it worth the hassle?

“A physical security key is the most secure key in of two-factor authentication.

Of course, password managers and other forms of two-factor authentication are important levels of cybersecurity support.

Another Factor

In the world of passwords and security, authentication methods are often split into groups.

In practice, though, the lines here are often blurred.

And, of course, if youre serious about your security, you should thoroughly research the vendor.

Otherwise, why bother?

The biggest advantage of a physical key is that it cannot be phished.

Security vs Hassle

So is this all worth the trouble?

If you see someone using one of these keys, its likely its some corporate thing.

Do you think a government might venture to access your information via your iCloud account?

Are the existing security measures not enough?

A physical security key is the most secure key in of two-factor authentication.

But where one person sees a trusted friend, a hacker sees an extra attack vector to exploit.

In the end, the tradeoff is always the same: security or convenience.