There are many valuable internet security tools out there that are powerful, easy to use, and worth having. Arguably, the best types of tools that score well on all three points are browser extensions. Some perfect browser extensions are free, and they are worth checking out.
Possibly the greatest advantage of browser extensions is they give you some coverage from online attacks, and you don’t need to have any real technical expertise to use them. You find them, read their description and terms, and install them. It’s also a good idea to look at user reviews before installing an extension. If there are too many stories about bad experiences, keep looking.
When combined with the proper privacy and online safety settings, browser extensions can give you real, solid coverage. So, our team looked at our favorite privacy extensions and narrowed them down to three outstanding examples.
3 Browser Extensions That Protect Your Privacy Online
The following browsers will offer you different kinds of online security and are available on many of the most popular browsers.
HTTPS Everywhere
When you travel the web, you’ll notice a little lock icon on the left side of the address bar. This tells you the site is secure and that you should be reasonably safe using it. After all, if you travel to a bad site, it may be too late once the landing page loads. HTTPS Everywhere is an extension designed to load HTTPS sites automatically and preemptively block sites that aren’t. This is a great tool, but it isn’t foolproof.
Supported Browsers
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Opera
- Edge
Privacy Badger
This browser extension is terrific for blocking 3rd-party trackers. It examines all components on a web page, finds the ones that track you, and prevents them from loading your browser. It even gathers information on suspicious web page elements, so it gets smarter over time, making you safer. As you surf the web, these cross-site trackers can really add up, slowing down your UX while sucking up all your user data at the same time. This is one of the most important security extensions out there, and the amount of data creep it can prevent enormously.
Supported Browsers
- Firefox
- Android
- Edge
- Opera
uBlock Origin
Ads make the internet free. But many are loaded with spyware, malware, and crawlers that will follow and track you. Ublock Origin is a lightweight extension that blocks ads you don’t want while enabling you to prevent it from breaking the websites you value most. There are lots of options for customization, from super-tight ad blocking to rather permissive and site-specific selections. For one thing, it can change watching YouTube from an ad-fest into a truly chill experience.
Supported Browsers
- Chrome
- Edge
- Firefox
One thing all these have in common is they reduce your Digital Trace. Think of it as digital scent trail hackers can use to target your data. Please find out more about it at Internetprivacy.com.
