Chrome can now check the security of your passwords – here’s how to try it
The browser’s password manager can check for leaked passwords
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Google’s onlinepassword manager– found atpasswords.google.com– includes a feature which lets you scan your passwords to see if any have been leaked in security breaches. Now, the company is bringing this Password Checkup tool to Chrome.
Password Checkup has previously been made available as a browser extension, but by moving it directly into Chrome, Google will be hoping that more people will make use of it and will be encouraged to change their passwords when necessary.
Rather than checking the strength of individual passwords, Password Checker cross-references passwords against a database of those that have been exposed as part of a security leak or data breach.
Such leaks are a simple way for hackers to learn of username and password combinations, and many internet users are unknowingly using passwords that have already been exposed. Password Checker is yet to be rolled out to all Chrome users, but it is possible to try it out already.
Check your passwords
AsTechdowsreports, the Password Checker tool can be found in the Canary build of Chrome 82. To enable it, you will need to pay a visit to chrome://flags and turn on the Bulk password check option.
After restarting Chrome, visit chrome://settings/passwords or click ‘Settings > Passwords’ and you will see a new section headed ‘Check passwords’.
If you’re not happy using the Canary build of Chrome, you will just have to wait a little longer for the feature to make its way to the main release. In the meantime, you can continue to use the Password Checker atpasswords.google.com
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Sofia is a tech journalist who’s been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.
Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.
Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.
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