In plain English
It is a real, tangible device that someone uses during sign-in. Its job is to help confirm that the person signing in is the user. It is used with a computer system or an online service.
In context
Here, “security key” labels the sign-in method that uses a physical authentication device to verify the user's identity.
- Situation
- Setting passwords, multifactor authentication, recovery codes, and trusted devices
- What it communicates
- labels a sign-in method choice on the multifactor setup page
Meaning limits
The term itself does not specify which particular device is involved.
Examples
“When she signed in to the training portal, Lena tapped a security key against her laptop to confirm her identity.”
“Each analyst signs in to the case-management system with a security key.”