Mozilla Firefox can now protect password access with device credentials
Mozilla Firefox has introduced a new feature that allows users to protect their passwords and sensitive information from hackers who gain remote or physical access to their device.
As is standard for many of its competitors, Firefox can create secure passwords and store them in the browser, making it easier for users to quickly log into accounts when online.
However, this feature doesn’t provide much protection against malware stealing information, so it may be a better idea to invest in one of the best password managers to keep your login credentials safe.
Extra layer of security
The credentials stored in the browser can be accessed via your device’s built-in biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, or can be accessed via a password.
The release notes state that “for additional protection on MacOS and Windows, a device login (for example, your operating system password, fingerprint, facial or voice login if enabled) may be required when accessing and populating saved passwords in Firefox Password Manager about :login page.”
While the feature is welcome, it does not completely protect against information-stealing malware. Because the credentials are encrypted and stored on a local drive, they can still be stolen and decrypted by attackers using the key stored in the Firefox credentials. To limit this, Firefox recommends that users set a high-strength primary password to encrypt credentials storage. This is not stored on the device and is only known to the user.
However, this primary password is still vulnerable to brute force attacks, so it is further recommended to use one of the best password generators to ensure that the primary password cannot be compromised easily.