Google warns against pathetic passwords

Google is trying to help you not be a password weakling. After all, you have more than two dozen online accounts, yet use the same password across most — if not all — of them. And because it is so darn difficult to remember a complex sequence of letters, numbers and special characters, the passwords that you do drum up are too easy to guess.

You’re not alone. According to a new poll released last week by Harris Poll and Google, 75% of Americans are frustrated with trying to keep track of their passwords.

So, Google is adding a new “Password Checkup” feature to the Chrome browser and the existing Google Account Password Manager that with a single click can warn you if your passwords are too weak or too often used in multiple places. The tool can also let you know if Google discovers passwords that have been compromised through a third-party breach.

Google timed its announcement to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October.

Previously, you had to add the Password Checkup tool as an extension to Chrome.

The move comes as Google’s privacy practices have been under the scrutiny of lawmakers, along with other tech giants Amazon and Facebook. Google also added new privacy tools for YouTube, Google Maps and the Google Assistant.

If a potential password vulnerability is flagged, you can update or change any at risk passwords by going to the website or app and saving it to your password manager when Google prompts you to do so.

The problem Google is trying to address is obvious: If a malicious hacker is able to crack your password at single site, the attacker may very likely be able to break into numerous accounts with that identical password.

And those passwords are way too often far from secure.

In the Harris/Google poll, 24% of Americans have used such common passwords or variations on, abc123, Password, 123456 and Iloveyou, among others. And 59% have incorporated a name or birthday into an online account password, and 33% a pet’s name.

What’s more, 27% have attempted to guess someone else’s password, and of those people, 17% guessed right. The poll also revealed that about 10% of Californians still have access to a password used by an ex-partner or roommate.

Google plans to integrate its password checkup technology into Chrome later in the year. The company says that if one of your usernames and passwords has been compromised in a known data breach, Google will show an automatic warning and suggest that you change your password.