Password checkup alerts if your credentials are compromised

We are already used to reading news of millions of credentials stolen from one service and another. And as the saying in security says, paranoia is a virtue. But also, time is money, and we can not always be vigilant and looking for whether our credentials and passwords appear in a list or another of the last security breach of any company. And that's why Google has released a free Chrome extension, Password Checkup, which alerts us if the credentials we just used are compromised in any of the lists, and I emphasize this, known.

Password Checkup: Privacy ahead.

Password Checkup works by encrypting your credentials with a strong key, so that only your system can read it, and from there it generates a Hash that warns what part of the index you have to download to check. And then it is compared to Google's database, also encrypted. It must be said that all credential checking is done locally, which in theory makes it difficult to attack and ensures privacy

This extension is experimental, but personally I already have it installed in my second browser (Guess the first one). And we will have to see how the extension evolves, because Google will be many things, but surely, a lot.

Protection begins with oneself.

It must be emphasized that the extension only serves to check if the credentials have been leaked in any of the security breaches. Personally, if the plugin works properly, it will probably become just another part of chrome, and I hope so. It does not protect against the use of weak, old or easily guessable passwords. So, if your password is the name of your cat, "123456" or any of the top 100 most used passwords Password Checkup does not warn, nor if you use the same credentials for everything.

But since remembering never hurts, here are some basic safety tips.

• Use different passwords for each service, and if possible, also the user. Change passwords frequently, ideally every two weeks, important ones weekly. If you write them down, do it in a place that is difficult to access (if they are in a notebook file on your desktop and they access it, they access everything). Physically in a place that only you know is ideal. Do not make answers to the very obvious security questions (anything that can be removed in 5 minutes on Google or Facebook), preferably that has nothing to do with the question (eg: -What is your favorite historical figure? colombia), if possible use it as a second password. Two-factor authentication is your friend. Use it. Paranoia is a virtue.

Password Checkup available in the Chrome Store. What do you think ?, Will you try it ?. Are you well protected?

Via Google