Security is not something you can take casually these days, and the more features you have to assist you with it the better. Edge just got a new one, a password monitor that keeps an eye on things.
Users running the Canary and Dev builds of the web browser can give it a try.
Now, you may be wondering why exactly do you I need a password monitor right in the browser?
As Microsoft explains, the feature is designed to check your stored passwords and determine whether any of them was included in a breach that may have left your accounts exposed. If that happens, the password monitor lets you know, prompting you to change the password as soon as possible.
But Redmond says that a feature like this comes really handy for users. And that’s because many people keep using the same password again and again on different sites, despite being advised against doing so:
“Hackers use automated scripts to try different stolen username and password combinations to hijack people’s accounts. When an account is taken over, its owner can be the target of fraudulent transactions, identity theft, illegal fund transfers, or other illegal activities.
Though people are regularly cautioned against reusing the same username and password combination for more than one online account, it’s a common practice. This leaves them vulnerable on multiple sites when breaches occur.”
It’s not exactly a novel feature, more of a nifty one — other solutions already exist that help with this, like the poplar Have I Been Pwned.
So, how does Password Monitor work?
After you turn it on, this new Microsoft Edge feature begins proactively checking the passwords you have saved in your browser against a large database of breached credentials that are stored in the cloud.
Strong encryption is employed here that helps prevent your information being revealed to anyone during the checking process.
If any of your passwords match those in the database, they will be shown on the Password Monitor page, whereby you can take further action to secure yourself.
