Chrome 79 to Warn Users if Their Passwords Get Stolen, Other Security Feature in Tow as Well

In a bid to offer users better password protection, Google is introducing Chrome version 79 that packs of a number of improvements, including warning to users when their password has been stolen as part of a data leak. Chrome also gets new features like phishing protection in real-time, and expanded predictive phishing protections. Coming to the stolen password warning feature, when you type your credentials into a website, Chrome will now warn you if your username and password have been compromised in a data breach on some site or app. It will suggest that you change them everywhere they were used.

Users can control the new feature in Chrome Settings under Sync and Google Services. It'll be gradually rolled out for everyone logged into Chrome, Forbes reported on Tuesday.

The tech giant has been warning about reused passwords in a separate browser extension or in its password checkup tool, but it is now baking this directly into Chrome to provide warnings as users log in to sites on the Web.

Even as Google will be watching as users enter their password, but it will not actually be able to see the login credentials. It is able to do this using tried and tested encryption techniques that allow it to check one password against a massive trove of stolen credentials without seeing the plain text, the report added.

Apart from password warnings, the company is also improving its phishing protection with a real-time option. Initially, this feature will roll out to everyone with the “Make searches and browsing better” setting enabled in Chrome.

Furthermore, the predictive phishing protection feature has been expanded to protect your Google Account password when you sign in to Chrome, even if Sync is not enabled, the tech giant explains in its blog. This will work for all the passwords you store in Chrome's password manager, and Chrome will show a warning when a user enters their Google Account password into a phishing page.

Additionally, Chrome 79 for desktops also reportedly brings features like Tab freezing, back-forward cache, security improvements and expanded phishing protections as well.