Yubico Forum

I suggest that there shall be a reliable way developed, tested and documented allowing a user to destroy all data stored on Yubikey in an emergency situation.
Some sort of physical key to press or action that could be performed over a key alone would be perfect. In an emergency one will not have time to rewrite configuration or walk to find her/his favorite hammer in the basement.

Apart from this, I'd like to note that there's nothing in the manuals devoted to procedures and methods of exempting keys from operating environment safely. In regular, not in an emergency manner. Or may be I missed them?

How to wipe (factory reset) a key memory? Can we be assured the old keys are really wiped? How well is it researched?

Once key(s) are decided to be taken out from service (because it was decided to replace them for a new shiny models, for example) how do we dispose of them safely? Both by software means and physically?

For example if I decide to dispose of an old HDD I know I can 1) run 35 passes Gutmann algo or 2) degauss it with magnetic pulse or 3) scratch or brake the plates, or even 4) melt the plates. Those are all quite well documented serious techniques, no joke. What about Yubikeys?

Thanks!

well unless it's a nano you might want to try bending it till it breaks, hammer might be useless as these are "practically indestructible" as yubico says.

but deleting the config via the manager in a normal situation should suffice.
from the outside perspective the yubi is a WOM (write only memory) meaning you cant read any secret in the first place, so for normal situations that sould be enough.

an emergency annihilation of the key, well that might be intresting but MUST be in a way that doesnt get triggered accidentially, I ccidentially hit my nano and sent a form that I didnt want to send because it fired off the OTP.

the greatest problem for emergency destruction is that the yubi has no battery, so a classic "switch" is impossible because it cannot delete the data without electricity.

Although I wouldn't do it, a microwave would probably render it useless. Anyone willing to try?

I think this is probably a topic worth considering. Why? An owner with an intact Yubikey is as good as gold to anyone wanting access. Yep, just about anyone will give up their secrets, but those secrets may be useless if your Yubikey is gone.

Standing in line to yet another not-always-friendly border control I thought I'd go after a separate mini device for wiping my yubikey. Imagine a little half-a-match-box-size dongle with sort of power source (battery, high voltage condenser etc.) and a control (button, dial, biometrics?) with USB port or full youbikey body enclosure. think about it as electroshocker for youbikey (and many other dongles too I guess)

When I expect threat level escalation, I can place my key into such box in advance. Under certain conditions I'll be able to burn the keys. I'm sure if well engineered, it can be very miniature and handy. It can be equipped with all sorts of controls like well crafted button, biomentrics, PIN entry pad, etc. etc. It could lock youbikey inside (requires full body insertion) and release it after right PIN is dialed. After a couple of failed attempts, or upon a under-pressure PIN, or after certain time elapsed, it would burn the key. Plenty of scenarios... Not ideal of cause, but better than nothing.

Again, it's a separate accessory, not a new battery and button embedded youbikey. It's probably not for every-day carry in a pocket. Depending on individual paranoia level, it can rest in an office desk, in every-day back pack, or thrown into a suite case until international traveling.

Does anyone know if such thing exists and can be purchased? May be Yubico would find it commercially feasible to design and start selling this accessory? If not, I think I'll go to my old garage and assemble one... so any comments would be appreciated

Cheers!