Google browser tool checks for hacked passwords
This free password check extension alerts you, if one of your online accounts is affected.
David FischerAgain and again passwords of large portals where hacked and leaked in the past and are therefore no longer safe. But there is help! Chrome now can add a password check extension Password Checkup. The extension warns users when they are using a password that was part of a data leak before.
According to Google, the add-on has been downloaded over 1 million times already. And nearly half of its users have been warned about a compromised password.
According to a statistic from Google, entertainment sites such as Netflix are at particular risk. Insecure passwords are particularly often used there several times - that carries a great risk. News and shopping websites are also affected often.
This is how it works: Browser extension checks passwords
The free password check extension is easy to install with any Google Chrome browser through the Chrome Web Store. The tool monitors the user name and password for all logins used. If a password is no longer safe due to an already known data breach, the user will be alerted.
The extension accesses a database of over 4 billion stolen login data sets. Google emphasizes that it cannot read any private data of the users. For this purpose, the information used always is anonymized and encrypted in several steps.
The password check will be integrated directly into Google Chrome later this year. This will give users real-time protection for their passwords without having to install a separate add-on.
About Author
David Fischer
I am a technology writer for UpdateStar, covering software, security, and privacy as well as research and innovation in information security. I worked as an editor for German computer magazines for more than a decade before starting to be a team member at UpdateStar.