Google has released two new Password Checkup tools. The two new tools are free Chrome extension to the firm’s web browser, which can now automatically warn users if their account details are detected to have been compromised in a cyber attack or data breach.
The first tool is the Password Checkup which can identify if you’re using a password that’s been exposed in a third-party data breach. The second tool is a feature called Cross Account Protection; this feature allows users to protect apps that they have signed into with their Google account.
The tools have been designed with the help of cryptography engineers at Stanford University. The firm claims that it had been built with privacy at its heart and will never reveal account information to Google.
Users can now download the Password Checkup extension, which will record their various website logins. When someone logs in with a username and password that Google knows has been compromised, it triggers a warning that prompts the user to change the password.
The Cross Account Protection feature is more aimed at the app developers. If your account is hacked, Google will promptly send that information to the apps and websites you’ve logged into with your Google account. Google says it will only share necessary details regarding the event itself.
The two new services seem like they might actually help you keep your login info safe. Though there are plenty of other free options, don’t forget to enable two-factor authentication on important accounts.
