Apple has released a number of free resources in order to help drive development of stronger password manager tools.
Entitled Password Manager Resources, Apple’s new open source project looks to help app developers build more effective services that, “create strong passwords that are compatible with popular websites”.
Password Manager Resources is available to download from GitHub now for free, with Apple saying it is open to developers from all backgrounds.
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Password manager
Password manager programs look to help users who have to juggle and remember login details for multiple accounts and systems, offering an extra layer of security by suggesting passwords made of random letters and numbers.
However whilst the password they create are strong, often users will find that they are not compatible with the desired websites, leading them to use a password of their own choosing – which are typically less secure.
Apple says its tools can help address this issue, which can affect users not just on its iOS and macOS platforms, but across all operating systems. The new services allow developers to integrate website-specific requirements used by its iCloud Keychain password manager to generate strong, unique passwords.
The toolkit also contains a number of websites known to share a sign-in system, links to websites’ pages where users change passwords, and more.
Apple says that having password managers collaborate on together using its resources has multiple benefits. This includes the fact that by sharing resources, all password managers can collectively improve their quality with less work than it might take for any individual password manager to reach on their own.
The company also suggests that by publicly documenting website-specific behaviors, password managers can offer an incentive for websites to use standards or emerging standards to improve their compatibility with password managers.
Ultimately, Apple notes that, “by improving the quality of password managers, we improve user trust in them as a concept, which benefits everyone.”
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Via ZDNet
