Chrome could start telling you when your password needs changing

Google is working to let Chrome detect if an account has been compromised and notify users when they need a new password change faster.

Google launched its free Password Checkup extension earlier this year but the tool will soon be a default for the Chrome browser, according to reports by 9to5Google.

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Password Checkup allows Chrome users to be notified immediately if Google thinks their account has been compromised. It works by sending an encrypted version of a users login details to Google as they type them in. Google then compares it with its database of over four billion leaked logins to see if there is a match. If it does turn out an account has been accessed, Chrome will automatically send a warning before prompting you to change your password to something more secure.

Google initially teamed up with cryptography researchers at Stanford University to develop the privacy protection techniques used in the plug-in and Google itself has no way of accessing your password in its unencrypted form so there’s no need to worry about Google employees spying on your emails.

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According to 9to5Google, code changes listed on Chromium Bug Tracker not only suggest that Password Checkup’s leak detection will be integrated directly into the browser but they also give us an idea of how the tool should work once these changes are put into place.

Chrome might be able to detect if your passwords for other sites are safe as well as its own. Building the feature directly into the browser means that the Password Checkup should be able to use its servers to perform checks on any passwords you have synced to your Google account and already trust the browser with.

If you have trust issues with Google handling your login data, there will also be an option to toggle the feature on and off so you don’t need to worry about moving browsers entirely.