Even if you use a two-factor password and authentication manager, there is a good chance that some of your login credentials have been exposed in the past thanks to hacks and leaks. Microsoft is introducing a new feature in Edge called Password Monitor so that 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 one of the passwords you saved to Edge is included in a third-party data breach, you will be notified to change it. That way, you can minimize any potential damage, especially if you have reused your password elsewhere.
In a way, Microsoft is trying to catch up here. Both Chrome and Firefox have offered similar functionality in recent years, as well as password managers like 1Password and LastPass. However, what makes Microsoft’s offer intriguing is that it is using a relatively new type of approach called homomorphic cryptography to ensure that no one in the company, nor anywhere else, can discover 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 CPUs, so that anyone can take advantage of the Password Monitor.