Google Chrome provides a quick-fix for compromised passwords

Google is serious about security and its new Google Duplex tool is designed to make updating passwords easier. In this week’s Google I/O most presentations led back to the subject in one way or another, with an increased focus on malware, spam and cyber-attacks across the product range. The biggest risk to your digital security however comes from one simple thing: your password.

Most incidents occur through compromised passwords, either by being directly discovered or through the use of the same password across multiple sites. Google’s suggested passwords tool is now used by half a billion and two-step authentication is now the default for all Google accounts.  

We use passwords for hundreds of sites in our daily lives and keeping up with them is tough – even if you do use a password manager. Google’s latest update to its Password Manager provides a way to check your passwords and update them with a simple click.

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If Google detects that one of your passwords has been compromised, or you just feel it’s time for an update, you can simply click on the Change Password button below your login details. The Google Duplex tool will then navigate to the website and change the password for you – allowing you to either used a suggested password or your own selection.

The Duplex tool has been used by Google since 2019 for tasks such as buying movie tickets, making appointments and ordering food directly from Google. It is able to call venues and book appointments for you, if the website has no online ordering system.

The system works across Chrome and Android, so you are covered on your laptop and phone and is much easier and faster than visiting each of the websites yourself. It means you can quickly update those old outdated or compromised passwords in minutes. And by using the suggested strong passwords from Google, you avoid the risk of one future compromise affecting multiple accounts.