You can make Windows 11 warn you about Password Reuse or Unsafe password storage using these two new settings in Windows Security. When you enable these settings, Windows 11 2022 and later, will warn you if you use an unsafe password or if you store the password in an unsecured location like Notepad.
SmartScreen identifies and protects against corporate password entry on reported phishing sites or apps connecting to phishing sites, password reuse on any app or site, and passwords typed into Notepad, Wordpad, or Microsoft 365 apps, says Microsoft.
The feature requires you to log into Windows with your password. If you use Windows Hello or PIN to log in to Windows, this feature will not work.
Enable Password Reuse warning in Windows 11 Security
To turn on Password Reuse warning in Windows 11:
- Using Search, open Windows Security
- Select App and browser control settings from the left side
- Scroll down till you locate Phishing protection
- Select Warn me about password reuse setting
- Click Yes to the UAC prompt that you may see.
Now Windows 11 will warn you if you use the same password on multiple occasions. It will display a message box saying – Password reuse is a security risk.
The feature works like this:
- If you sign into Windows 11 using a password, Enhanced Phishing Protection will alert you if you type the same password into a suspicious website or an app.
- It will also prompt you to change your password so attackers can’t gain access to your account.
- It will also warn you if you reuse your Microsoft account password on other sites or apps and prompt you to change your password.
Currently, only the typed password used to sign into Windows 11 can be protected.
Read:
- How to enable or disable Password Reuse warning in Edge using GPEDIT or REGEDIT
- Best ways to store and safeguard your Passwords.
Enable Unsafe password storage warning in Windows 11 Security
To turn on Unsafe password storage warning in Windows 11:
- Using Search, open Windows Security
- Select App and browser control settings from the left side
- Scroll down till you see Phishing protection
- Select Warn me about unsafe password storage setting
- Click Yes to the UAC prompt that you may see.
Now Windows 11 will warn you if you store the password in an unsecured location like Notepad, Wordpad, Word or OneNote. It will display a message box saying – It’s unsafe to store your password in this app.
We hope you find this feature useful.
Related: How to harden or customize the Windows Password Policy using Registry or Group Policy Editor.
Which are the best desktop password manager software for Windows PC?
These are some of the best free desktop password manager software for your Windows PC – LastPass, LockCrypt, KeePass, Password Safe, RoboForm, etc.
Which are the best Online Password Managers?
Dashlane, Bitwarden, NordPass, RoboForm, KeePass XC, etc, are some of the best free Online Password Managers you may want to check out.
