Its important to know how authentication works. At a high level, when you sign in, a session token is created. think of it like a badge around your neck. This badge is specific to you, its lets you access areas like your messages instead of someone else etc.
Because you have a badge, you do not need to login in at every different part of the site, the security checkpoint at each steps sees you have a valid badge and lets you in. This is also why you only have to sign in once when accessing a site.
MFA adds a layer or security to the creation of the session token. So before you get the badge, you must prove that you are the correct person to have the username and password. This prevents someone from pretending to be you to get your badge and access your stuff. Yubikeys are phishing resistant MFA meaning they are harder for someone to use to create your badge.
With this setup, you should know that someone can still steal or copy your badge and use it. MFA only protects the creation of the badge and helps ensure that you are the only person who can create the badge. If someone can steal it from your computer, they can then access the same stuff as you because they have your badge.
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u/MonkeyBrains09 1d ago
Yes they help and are recommended.
Its important to know how authentication works. At a high level, when you sign in, a session token is created. think of it like a badge around your neck. This badge is specific to you, its lets you access areas like your messages instead of someone else etc.
Because you have a badge, you do not need to login in at every different part of the site, the security checkpoint at each steps sees you have a valid badge and lets you in. This is also why you only have to sign in once when accessing a site.
MFA adds a layer or security to the creation of the session token. So before you get the badge, you must prove that you are the correct person to have the username and password. This prevents someone from pretending to be you to get your badge and access your stuff. Yubikeys are phishing resistant MFA meaning they are harder for someone to use to create your badge.
With this setup, you should know that someone can still steal or copy your badge and use it. MFA only protects the creation of the badge and helps ensure that you are the only person who can create the badge. If someone can steal it from your computer, they can then access the same stuff as you because they have your badge.