The new Microsoft Edge browser will warn you if your password has been leaked online

Microsoft Edge 88 is rolling out to users in the Stable channel alongside some new privacy-focused features, including a long-awaited credentials monitor and a built-in password generator.

The first of these features, Password Monitor, will help users stay protected against data breaches involving passwords. If Edge determines that a user’s login credentials have been exposed on the dark web (or elsewhere), it will notify them within the browser and advise them to update their passwords.

SEE: Identity theft protection policy (TechRepublic Premium)    

Password monitor was
announced by Microsoft last year,

and began rolling out yesterday (January 21) with the release of Edge 88, though it may take a week or two to reach Edge users, Microsoft said.

The latest version of Microsoft Edge, which is based on the open-source Chromium architecture, also features a built-in password generator. When users sign up to a new account on a website, Edge will automatically generate a strong password for the user, which is then automatically saved and synced across their devices.

The feature is similar to the one available on Google Chrome, and helps ensure users are using strong passwords for their accounts, while taking away the onus of having to memorize (or worse, write down) lists of complex, unique passwords for each service they sign up for. This is particularly important when creating accounts for financial services and other websites that require valuable information, Microsoft said.

Password Monitor is available for Windows 7, 8 and 10 users. Password Generator is available to the same Windows users, in addition to being available on macOS. Both features require users to be signed into Edge with a work or school account, and password sync turned on.

Microsoft has made additional privacy tweaks under the hood of Edge 88. This includes more transparent options around data collection, with users now able to dip into the permissions settings and control which sites have access to location, camera and microphone functions. Customers also have more control over how cookies are stored, specifically by allowing them to delete unnecessary third-party cookies while hanging onto ones they want to keep: say, for keeping certain settings in place for websites they visit regularly.

SEE: Top Windows 10 run commands (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Edge 88 also adds features for making browsing in private mode even more private. Users can now toggle a ‘Strict’ mode within the InPrivate browser that will block any trackers that personalize content and ads. This will prevent users from being shown personalized ads based on their browsing history, which Microsoft said would be useful when shopping for gifts or planning a surprise. This could be inadvertently ruined by an ad that gives the game away, particularly on a shared computer.

For times when even more privacy is needed, Microsoft Edge 88 features Secure DNS. This bolsters security by looking up website addresses over the more secure HTTPS protocol, ensuring data remains encrypted and protecting it from attackers who might try to modify or eavesdrop on the connection.

Users can configure a different secure DNS provider or disable it altogether within the Edge 88 privacy settings. Strict mode and Secure DNS is available on Edge 88 for Windows 7, 8 and 10 users, and on macOS. 

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