But here is a simple question;

1. Do the people who preach about 2FA use it themselves in their daily lives?

The more I think about it, the more two-factor seems like this;

1.1 Users vs. IT

There are regular users, and then the IT people (or tech experts).

1.2 IT doesn't trust users

They assume users will click bad links, install spyware (now rebranded as infostealers), or fall for scams.

1.3 So, IT Forces Protection

They hand users complicated login tools like Yubikeys, Passkeys, and Authenticator Apps to keep accounts safe.

But what happens when you are your own IT?

2. My experience with Yubikeys (and why I gave up)?

Over the past few weeks, I tried using YubiKey (a small hardware device for 2FA) with my password manager, KeePass.

At first, it seemed smart: plug it when needed, then tuck it away safely. Easy, right?

Wrong.

The real issue wasn't the day-to-day use. It was the backup and recovery.

If I lost the YubiKey or it broke, I wouldn't have an IT department to call for help. I would be responsible for setting up backups, recovery methods, and everything else. And trust me, doing all that securely is very hard.

In fact, I recently misplaced one of my YubiKeys, which made me realize;

Managing 2FA devices yourself can be even riskier than not using them at all.

3. Is Two-Factor Just For the "Little People"?

It started feeling like two-factor is something powerful organizations force on everyday users, while being much less practical for individuals managing their own security.

For me, the original goal of using a YubiKey was simple;

Make it harder for hackers to steal my master password if my computer ever got infected.

But given how much software I run (and how risky software can be), I realized a better approach;

• Keep the passwords stored in a separate, stripped-down environment.
• Manually type them into the real world when needed.
• Avoid relying on complex 2FA setups that could backfire if something goes wrong.

3. Are there better alternatives?

Some people (like me) have been using password-protected certificates for remote server access, and doing so successfully for over 20 years without a break-in.

While that might not work for giant corporations, for small businesses and personal use, it's absolutely doable and much simpler.

In large companies, 2FA is more manageable because;

• If you lose your device, the company can quickly replace it.
• IT support teams are available to help.

But for regular users, losing access to your 2FA device often means losing your entire account forever. That is a huge risk most people don't realize until it's too late.

4. Final Thoughts

Two-factor authentication sounds great in theory, but if you are your own IT team, with no backup support, it can actually make your life harder and riskier.

Security is important.

But sometimes, keeping things simple and manageable is a better form of security than layering on complexity you can't recover from.