The first developer beta of iOS 17.3 includes Stolen Device Protection, a major new security feature designed to protect the user’s sensitive information stored in the device and in iCloud account if their iPhone is stolen and the thief gets access to the phone’s passcode. This optional feature could represent a significant change in how Apple looks at security, where currently the passcode is king. At this time, no detailed documentation is available; developers are getting a prompt to test the feature when installing the new beta.

How many passwords does an average Joe or Jane has to remember? Obviously, it’s not just one or two. Security requirements vary among online services, accounts and applications, allowing (or disallowing) certain passwords. Seven years ago, Microsoft determined in a study that an average user  had 6.5 Web passwords, each of which is shared across about four different websites. They’ve also determined that, back then, each user had about 25 accounts that required passwords, and typed an average of 8 passwords per day.