Mozilla Firefox 69 is expected to launch a random password generator, similar to the one used in Chrome, this fall.
The Firefox update is scheduled to release in early September, roughly a year following the release of Chrome 69.
A random password generator is currently available in Firefox Nightly, the pilot version of Firefox used for testing new features, and can be enabled by tinkering in the browser’s secretive settings in the about:configURL.
The new feature is expected to be available as a checkbox in the settings section under "Privacy & Security," under "Logins and Passwords."
Outpost24 Chief Security Officer Martin Jartelius said that while the random password generator will have its advantages in assisting users in selecting strong passwords it isn’t without potential problems.
"The downside in those cases are when you are using multiple devices,” Jartelius said. “Unless you are logged in, the other devices wouldn’t know the password stored in other services and it can cause some usability challenges, but there are other password managers that mitigate this challenge.”
He added that browser integrated password managers help protect against users selecting easily guessable passwords but also introduce risks associated with data stored on the system if exposed.
