Google Chrome Wants To Tell You If Your Password Has Been Compromised

Given the recurrence of hacks other forms of data breach, odds are great that somewhere around one of your passwords is in unauthorised hand and Google says they want to do something about it.

A new Chrome extension by Google makes it kind of easy to now guard your password and let you know if your password has been compromised. Called Password Checkup, it will basically sit in your Chrome browser and alarm you on the off chance that you enter a username/secret phrase mix that Google knows to be risky.

We want to help you stay safe not just on Google, but elsewhere on the web as well. This is where the new Password Checkup Chrome extension can help. Whenever you sign in to a site, Password Checkup will trigger a warning if the username and password you use is one of over 4 billion credentials that Google knows to be unsafe.

The internet giant says it has a database of 4 billion credentials that have been imperiled in different data breaches over the years and by comparing your information with this database, Google believes it can keep you safe online.

“At a high level, Password Checkup needs to query Google about the breach status of a username and password without revealing the information queried. At the same time, we need to ensure that no information about other unsafe usernames or passwords leaks in the process, and that brute force guessing is not an option. Password Checkup addresses all of these requirements by using multiple rounds of hashing, k-anonymity, and private set intersection with blinding.”

At the point when the extension identifies an insecure password, you’ll be alerted with a visibly big red pop up box that will ask you to update your information as soon as possible. It’s helpful, however users may ponder precisely what Google can see using this extension and with that in mind, Google says that the extension never reveal[s] this individual data. Additionally, any information sent back to Google about the extension will remain anonymous – at least that’s what Google said in its blog post.

Google additionally says the extension was intended to be noteworthy and not all that quite a bit of an irritation to users. It won’t pester you in case you’re utilising frail passwords or inform you regarding other information that may have been endangered alongside your username and password like your telephone number and other personal data. It’s entirely centred on making passwords increasingly secure.