Password managers and the recent emergence of Passkeys represent two critical stages in online security. With iOS 18, Apple plans to make it easier for users with the launch of a dedicated Passwords app. Let’s delve into digital authentication’s history, improvements, and future, focusing on Apple’s efforts to enhance user security and simplify the process.
The rise of password managers
For decades, passwords have been the cornerstone of digital security. Initially, the concept was simple: a unique combination of characters that only the user knew, which could be used to gain access to protected resources. However, as the internet expanded and users had to manage an increasing number of accounts, the limitations of traditional passwords became glaringly apparent.
The average internet user now has dozens, if not hundreds, of online accounts, making it nearly impossible to remember unique passwords for each one. This has led to poor practices such as password reuse and creating weak, easily guessable passwords. As a result, cybercriminals have found it easier to exploit these vulnerabilities, leading to significant security breaches.
To mitigate these issues, password managers have been growing in popularity recently, with LastPass, 1Password, and NordPass amongst the most popular. These tools store and manage users’ passwords in an encrypted database, allowing them to use strong, unique passwords for each account without remembering them all.
Apple’s Keychain, introduced over 25 years ago, was one of the earliest mainstream password managers. Integrated into macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and more, Keychain securely stores users’ credentials, making managing passwords across Apple devices easier, and integration with iCloud made the service even more convenient.
Passwords on IOS 18
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