Mozilla announced that Firefox is testing a new tool, Firefox Monitor, a tool that will help you know if your account was compromised in a data breach.
This feature was teased last year and it was a collaboration between Mozilla and Troy Hunt who runs Have I been Pwned which is a website with a database that you can check whether your login details were hacked and released to the open web.
Mozilla is now testing Firefox Monitor where visitors will be able to check to see if their accounts were included in known data breaches.
When you add your email address on the textbox, it will show you whether your details were included in known data breaches, details about the sites and the types of personal data exposed in each breach. The tool will also offer recommendations if your details were breached and how to secure your accounts. Mozilla is also considering a notification service to notify people when new breaches include their personal data.
Mozilla and HaveIBeenPwned iterate that they won’t violate their user’s privacy with respect to the handling of their email addresses. Your emails will be anonymized while using it.
Mozilla is planning to test the feature with approximately 250,000 users who are mostly in the US. If they are satisfied with it, they will roll it ut to all users and they will announce it later.
This could potentially be a major feature for Firefox and a great help in knowing which of your email addresses you should stop using and securing your accounts even better.
