If you’re concerned about data breaches online, you might want to try the latest version of FireFox.
Mozilla recently launched its all-new Firefox Quantum web browser, the firm’s biggest launch since Firefox 1.0 debuted back in 2004.
The new browser boasts some impressive speeds – over twice as fast as Firefox from 6 months ago, the company boasts.
Quantum boasts a stylish new design, dubbed Photon UI, which streamlines a number of elements included in previous releases.
Mozilla this week revealed it will warn you whenever you visit a website that has suffered a data breach.
Firefox is working on the feature in collaboration with “Have I Been Pwned,” the hugely-popular site that checks whether your credential have been stolen by hackers.
Troy Hunt, the security expert who created Have I Been Pwned, confirmed the collaboration in a tweet.
He posted, “Yes, we’re doing some awesome things with @mozilla and @haveibeenpwned.”
The update is still in the very early stages of development, with the feature currently only available to those willing to download code from GitHub, compile it and add to Firefox Developer Edition. However it shows a lot of promise.
Whenever you navigate to a website that has suffered a security breach – like Ashley Madison, for example – the web browser will throw-up a warning.
Firefox won’t prohibit users from entering the website should they wish, but it inform users that, at some point in the recent past, the website’s security procedures were lacking.
Troy Hunt discussed how the final feature could work with Engadget, saying “Firefox is just looking at which sites have been been breached and we’re discussing other ways of using the data in the future.
“They’ve got a broad reach and surfacing this info via Firefox is a great way to get more exposure around data breaches.”
Hacked sites are unlikely to be too thrilled by a feature that publicly shames them for previous lax security, but users have reportedly responded very positively.
Hunt tweeted: “Wow, surprised at how much positive feedback this is garnering so quickly, I’m pretty stoked.”