Mozilla began working on a new security feature of Firefox late last year with security expert Troy Hunt in an effort to alert internet users if their online accounts have been compromised in a hack attempt and help them keep their credentials safe. The solution uses data from Troy's Have I been Pwned (HIBP) website which works to index data breaches.
The team seems to have matured the initial development work as Mozilla announced that the security tool called Firefox Monitor is slated for testing with approximately 250,000 users, mainly in the U.S., starting next week. Once the testing stage wraps up with satisfactory results, Mozilla will roll out the service to all users.
Firefox Monitor is designed to help fulfill the account security needs of internet users, including those that use other browsers, though Firefox users can expect to receive additional features. Users may enter their email address in the Firefox Monitor's website to check if their accounts, including the type of data compromised, were affected by reported data breaches.
The email addresses will be checked against the HIBP database in a private manner. As such, Mozilla says it has tapped the help of CloudFlare in addition to HIBP to develop a method for keeping the data shared with Firefox Monitor anonymous. The website will then recommend a best practice for securing an account in the event of a data breach.
Mozilla also plans to launch a service that will make users aware of new data breaches involving their personal data.
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