In April 2025, OpenAI announced it will require users to complete formal, government-issued, national ID document-based identity verification. Now, effective September 1, 2026, Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC) accounts will be required to authenticate using hardware passkeys to access OpenAI’s most advanced cyber AI models, enabled via OpenAI’s Advanced Account Security. OpenAI announced special hardware passkey pricing for Yubico YubiKeys, namely YubiKey C NFC and YubiKey C Nano, and supports other FIDO-compatible hardware keys. Hardware-based FIDO passkeys introduce challenges: using API keys for TAC services cannot be fully automated, potentially causing service outages if manual authentication is required; if not every API invocation requires authentication, the mechanism is vulnerable to session theft. Hardware key usage means organizations and users must absorb new device and management costs, similar to one-time password generators. Because Yubico does not store the seed of its hardware keys centrally, OpenAI must provide self-service for recovery. Currently, enrolling in Advanced Account Security disables all SMS and email account recovery permanently and mandates registering a hardware security key plus another FIDO passkey. USB-C-only keys may not be compatible with all mobile devices, and users with limited dexterity and vision may encounter friction. Hardware keys could hinder equal access, and because they may be unavailable in certain geographies, mandating them may exclude access from certain countries or regions.