Tech Matters: How to Create Strong Passwords Like Apple | News, sports, jobs

Apple has developed a clever approach to passwords for its devices, but you don’t need a Mac, iPhone or iPad to take advantage of it. You can borrow Apple’s strategy to make your own passwords stronger, more secure, and easier to use.

Passwords as we know them first appeared in the 1960s, when MIT introduced them for its Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS), which allowed multiple users to log on to the same computer. Back then, passwords were short and simple – a few characters at most – and were intended to separate users, not protect against hackers. In the 1980s and 1990s, as personal computers and the Internet became mainstream, passwords were widely used to access email, online services, and early e-commerce sites.

Back then, typical passwords were easy to guess. Many people used “password,” “123456,” or “qwerty” because they were easy to remember and quick to type. Some users added a personal touch, such as their name, year of birth, or phrases like “Iloveyou” or “letmein.” Hackers quickly took notice, and brute force attacks – which used algorithms to guess common combinations – made these passwords insecure.

As online security threats have grown, so has advice about creating strong passwords. In the early 2000s, users were encouraged to create passwords with a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Passwords like “Pa$$w0rd!” became the gold standard, but they often lacked the length necessary to deter modern hacking techniques. Today, the focus is on creating longer passwords – 16 characters or more – with random combinations that don’t follow any predictable patterns.

Apple’s auto-generated password system, introduced in 2018, follows these best practices. Ricky Mondello, the Apple security expert behind the system, explained in a recent blog post about his original password presentation: “So these new passwords are 20 characters long.” They contain the standard stuff, a capital letter. They are dominated by lowercase letters. We decided on a symbol, namely the hyphen. We put two of them and a single (digit) there. We chose this length and character mix to be compatible with a good mix of existing websites.”

Apple’s passwords are carefully designed to balance security and ease of use. First, they are divided into three sections with hyphens, making them easier to read and type. This is especially helpful when entering passwords on less traditional devices like gaming controllers or smart TVs.

Second, Apple generates two-syllable nonsense words using a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, creating “pseudo words” that you can hear in your head. For example, a segment like “funrus-Hommez-kajzo7” may mean nothing, but is easier to remember than a string of unpronounceable letters.

“These are not real syllables in the sense of a language. We have a certain number of characters that we consider as consonants, which is 19. Another set that we consider as vowels is six. And we select them randomly,” Mondello said.

The placement of numbers and capital letters is also intentional. Apple uses only one capital letter to keep typing easier – especially on devices where switching between upper and lower case is cumbersome. Likewise, the number is placed next to a hyphen or at the end to avoid interrupting the pseudowords and to facilitate password management.

Apple’s system also filters out offensive or inappropriate substrings using an on-device dictionary. “We actually have a dictionary of offensive terms on the device that we use to filter these generated passwords,” Mondello said.

Even if you don’t use an Apple device, you can adapt these principles to create your own secure and practical passwords.

Start by striving for length. A password with at least 20 characters is much more difficult to crack. To make it more manageable, divide it into smaller sections and separate them with hyphens or other special characters.

Structure your password like Apple by using nonsense words made up of consonant-vowel-consonant patterns. Avoid real words or phrases that are easier to guess. Adding a single capital letter and number increases security, but careful placement – near a special character or at the end – makes the password easier to type and remember.

Finally, avoid predictable patterns like repeating numbers or phrases. If you’re worried about accidentally creating something inappropriate, take a moment to check the password before using it.

As Mondello summarizes, Apple’s system is designed to balance practical usability with strict security principles. By following these ideas, you can create passwords that protect your accounts while being easier to manage.