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Comment by whatshisface

4 months ago

So do hard drives.

Yeah, you can implement a software based method using PBKDF2 or BCrypt. This is why most password managers use a "Master Password." They are much less convenient than hardware based keys like Yubikey and HSMs/Secure Enclave.

  • Secure enclave is not an alternative for Yubikey because the program inside enclave cannot tell if the request comes from the user or from malware.

    • Most secure enclaves use a fingerprint scanner to authenticate the request for data key or private certificate decryption. For instance, on the MacBook you will get a message prompting for fingerprint. On a Windows laptop without a fingerprint scanner it will prompt for a PIN.