What You Need To Know About Firefox Monitor

Mozilla has officially launched its new Firefox monitor service. Now, if your user credentials have been compromised in a data breach, anywhere in the world, you’ll be automatically notified rather than learning about it the hard way. The feature has been in testing for some time and works with the Aussie-made HaveIBeenPwned service created by cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt.

Mozilla announced the official release overnight and says your email address will be scanned against a database that serves as a library of data breaches. That database, as we reported when testing commenced comes from HaveIBeenPwned.com (HIBP).

Of course, this means you need to trust Firefox with your email address. The developers of the new service have outlined how they’ll protect your personal data by using an API that anonymises data.

With Firefox’s market share dipping below 10%, adding a new feature that differentiates it from the rest of the market is an important strategy. As people become more aware and concerned at how widely their data is shared through breaches, this can help assure people and let them know when they need to change compromised credentials.