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How Chrome and Safari can help you strengthen your passwords

Reusing passwords across multiple accounts is a tempting way to ensure you won’t get locked out of your favorite platforms, but this is a dangerous tactic as far as your online security goes. If hackers gain access to one account, they can get into all others using the same password. Remember—your accounts are only as secure as the weakest of the bunch.

Safari and Google Chrome are here to help, though. Both browsers feature tools that will help you pick strong passwords and remember them, too. You’ll even get warnings when you’re reusing credentials or when they are spotted in a data breach.

These login details can be synced everywhere you use Chrome, as long as you’re signed into the same Google account and syncing your data across devices. To check, click the menu button (three dots, top right) in Chrome, then choose Settings and Sync and Google services.

From the main Settings page, click Autofill, then Passwords to see all of the passwords Chrome is managing for you. Here you can view, edit, or delete any of them—use the search box at the top if you need to find a specific one. If you’re not comfortable with this feature, you can also disable the prompt that offers to save passwords for new accounts.

While you’re on the passwords screen, click Check passwords, and Google will check all of your stored passwords for duplicates or for matches in public data breaches (you may be prompted for your master Google password again along the way).

The results screen is split into three sections: compromised passwords (mentioned in data breaches), reused passwords (identical passwords for different accounts), and weak passwords (those that can be easily cracked). Click on any of the Change password links to head to the relevant website and change your details.

We’d recommend taking action on every account Google flags up, even if you have dozens to work through. If you use Chrome’s password suggestion feature, you should be able to get your account credentials safe and secure without spending too much time on the job.

These same passwords and user credentials sync to Chrome on Android and iOS, as long as you’re signed into the same Google account—when you’re on a sign-in screen Chrome recognizes, your saved password will pop up so you can select it with a tap. On Android, when you’re signing up for something new, you’ll see a Suggest password option as well. Unfortunately, this feature hasn’t yet made it to Chrome for iOS.

Source : https://www.popsci.com/chrome-safari-password-tools/

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