Microsoft Edge will notify you if your passwords have been compromised

Even if you’re using a password manager and two-factor authentication, there’s a good chance that some of your login information has been exposed in the past due to hacks and leaks. Microsoft is introducing a new feature in Edge called Password Monitor so you don’t have to go to a website like Engadget to find out that one of your passwords has been compromised. The next time any of the passwords you’ve saved in Edge are included in a third-party data breach, you’ll be notified to change it. This way, you can minimize any potential damage, especially if you have reused that password elsewhere.

In a way, Microsoft is playing catch-up here. Chrome and Firefox have been offering similar functionality for a few years, as have password managers such as 1Password and LastPass. What makes Microsoft’s offer interesting, however, is that it uses a relatively new type of approach called homomorphic encryption to ensure that no one in the company, or any other party, can find your passwords. . One of the ways the algorithm protects your data is by allowing a computer to interact with it without first decrypting the information. It also works with a variety of machines, including those with relatively old processors, so everyone can benefit from Password Monitor.