Nowadays many web sites require you to type a user name and password before you can enter the site. One of Mozilla Firefox’s powerful features is the ability to save your passwords so you don’t need to type them in every time.

But how well Firefox protects your passwords? Apparently, by default, Firefox lets anyone view all your high security passwords in a matter of seconds. In Firefox, from the Tools menu, choose Options, and in the Security tab click on the “Show Passwords” button. Click on “Show Passwords” and there you go… all your passwords are visible to anyone with access to your computer.

In order to protect your passwords, Firefox has an option to set a Master Password for the password database. The Master Password will protect access to your stored passwords in Firefox’s Password Manager. By setting a Master Password, a user will be promoted to enter the Master Password when access to stored passwords is needed.

To set a Master Password, from the Tools menu, choose Options, and in the Security tab check “Use a master Password” and click the “Change Master Password” button. You will be promoted to enter a new password. This password is a single password that will unlock the stored passwords. Make sure you choose a secure password.

While it is possible to read passwords from Firefox’s Password Manager (see FirePassword) and recover the Master Password, setting up a Master Password adds additional layer of security for the privacy and protection of your passwords.