Google’s Password Checkup may soon be baked into Chrome

Earlier this year, Google released the Password Checkup Extension that alerts users if their user names and passwords were potentially compromised in data breaches that affect more than 4 billion online credentials. The checkup extension was designed jointly with Stanford cryptography experts to ensure that not even Google would have access to your credentials as they were checked against breach databases.

Now, it would seem, Google is taking the security feature to a new level by baking it directly into the Chrome Browser. As Techdows reports, the latest version of Chrome Canary for desktop features a new flag titled “Password Leak Detection.” Once enabled, the Password Leak setting will show up in the Chrome settings page as a toggle switch in the Password’s sub-menu.

Then, when you navigate to a site that has a known data breach, Chrome will alert you to check or change your password. Here’s a look at the preliminary UI mockups for the related bug report.

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The Password Leak Detection hasn’t popped up in Chrome OS, yet but the flag indicates that it will be a part of Chrome across all platforms at some point. Some users have voiced their dislike for the Password Checkup feature citing it as invasive on Google’s part. Personally, I find Google’s proactive approach to web-wide safety a welcome addition. Besides, you’ll be able to turn it off if you don’t want to use it. We’ll keep watching Chrome OS Canary to see when we might expect the Leak Detector’s arrival.

Source: Techdows