Microsoft takes the fight to Chrome with improved password protection in Edge

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Microsoft is introducing a new security feature to its Edge web browser that will let users know if any of their passwords have been involved in a security breach.

While this is not an entirely new feature, the way in which warnings are displayed is changing. Should Edge's Password Monitor tool determine that a password has been compromised, the warning will not be prominently displayed rather than being hidden for users to have to find manually.

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The change has been introduced in the Dev build of Edge, and Microsoft points out that it has "added more alerts when Password Monitor detects a compromised password". The change is an important one because it makes it far more apparent to Edge users when one or more of their password has been compromised, making it far more likely that they will take action to secure their accounts.

The browser's Password Monitor feature has warned about passwords involved in security breaches for a while now. However, the warnings were limited to a small red icon in the toolbar which was easy to miss. Warnings could also be seen by anyone paying a visit to edge://settings/passwords, not something most people would even think of doing.

Warning signals

Now when Password Monitor detected a breached password a popup message is display that reads: "Microsoft Edge detected that the password for 1 site has been leaked. Change your password to secure your account". Users are invited to click a 'View details' button to change the password in question (as you can in Chrome), or 'Not now' to postpone taking action for the time being.

If you'd like to try out this feature and the other new features that can be found in the Dev build of Edge, you can sign up for the Microsoft Edge Insider Channel. In addition to the Dev build of the browser, which is updated on a weekly basis, you'll also find the more stable Beta version – updated every six weeks – and the far more experimental Canary build which is updated daily.

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Via Techdows

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

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