Surfing the Internet with a simple browser is 1995. Today it’s all about the browser extensions! Browser add-ons extend the features of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari with features not supported by the original developers. Many essential browser extensions are designed to keep you safe online. Some others add new core features or streamline websites to make them easier to use.
These ten browser extensions should provide more security on your computer:
No script
Very few pages work without any background scripts. Active contents of the website are executed directly in the browser. Even browsers like Google Chrome with their sandbox system are not completely protected against attacks by such scripts. A program like NoScript, it stands for Firefox and all Mozilla-based browsers like SeaMonkey ready, provides good protection. Chrome users can access NotScript. It ensures that JavaScript statements are blocked, but the user can release them again. Unfortunately, installing NotScripts is a bit more complicated than installing NoScripts. The extensions do the following: – By default, all JavaScript activity on the web page is interrupted. The user can release himself piece by piece and make these shares permanent via the White List. – The add-on not only blocks JavaScript but also Flash and Silverlight and the often very dangerous Java applets. – Also threats through cross-site scripting (XSS) blocks the add-on with great certainty.
Ghostery
Companies want as much information as possible about visitors to their websites – and about the further surfing of the user. Ghostery is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera but also for iOS and the Android Firefox version 5.2.1.
– According to the provider, Ghostery can choose from its own database of 1900 trackers and 2300 tracking patterns and filter accordingly.
– The user gets through the ghost icon in the browser to see how many trackers are active on the website and can decide which he blocks and which he allows.
– Also possible is to maintain a white list containing web pages where tracking should always be allowed.
Trashmail
As a protection against spam help disposable mail addresses, as they can generate TrashMail. The add-on for Firefox and Chrome creates them directly in the browser. After a free login to TrashMail, the user can open a form with a right click and deposit and use new pseudo-mail addresses there. The addresses will be deleted after some time.
TrackMeNot
If search queries on the Internet are not actively read and examined, then TrackMeNot helps. The tool is available for Chrome and Firefox for free download and works rather unusual:
– The add-on runs in the browsers as a background process.
– It sends random searches to major search engines.
– So many “noise”, which make it difficult for the spying to filter out the actual search queries of the user.
Secure Sanitizer
If you want to make sure that the data in the browser cache is really deleted, you can work with the Firefox add-on Secure Sanitizer. The program offers:
– A simple deletion of the cache in the file system.
– Random overwriting of the data.
– A three-step overwriting using the secure method DoD 5520.
ShowIP
The practical URLs of web pages can be manipulated by hackers so that the user is misdirected even though he has entered the correct address. This can have fatal consequences for home banking, for example. ShowIP gives the user more detailed information:
– The real IP address of the server.
– The name of the host provider or a whois query to the original IP address. This information will be available from Firefox add-on version 2.4.
AVG PrivacyFix
The extension for Chrome and Firefox is also available as an app for iOS and Android. She is primarily concerned with the privacy settings that the user has made on social networks. The add-on can do the following:
– According to the AVG manufacturer, track more than 1200 trackers trying to track the behavior of the user.
– Review the personal data and attitudes of Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and give the user advice for a secure configuration.
Facebook Disconnect
Facebook lives from the data of its users, according to curious is the social network. Even those who are not on Facebook can hardly avoid sharing personal data with Facebook: Many websites have “Like” and Recommendation buttons from Facebook. Even if the user does not actively use these links to Facebook, data will be sent to Facebook. The add-on Facebook Disconnect for Firefox and Chrome prevents this. The program performs the following actions:
– It blocks all connections that third-party sites want to build on Facebook.
– A small icon appears in the address bar of the browser, indicating when such connections should be established.
– The user is not hindered in the normal use of his Facebook account.
Click & Clean
The Click & Clean extension is available for the Firefox and Chrome browsers and is available free of charge. The Chrome version is a lot more advanced than the version for Firefox.
Click & Clean removes your surf marks in the browser and the traces of the browser in the system. The add-on can:
– Safely delete the personal data and the cache of the browser and “safely close” the browser.
– Remove the data from plug-ins and run tests that reveal data from the browser.
McAfee SiteAdvisor
How safe is the website I’m surfing on? And this link that the search engine just suggested? As a user on the World Wide Web you can never be so sure that decisions like “It will not be dangerous” will not help. McAfee, the Intel-acquired security firm, is offering the SiteAdvisor a free-of-charge solution to help users make these assessments by pointing out potentially dangerous sites.
Advantages of the SiteAdvisor:
– Add-on for Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer in German.
– Easy and fast installation. The uninstall also works fine.
– Practical is the inclusion in the search results, where the user is warned directly from dangerous sites.
In conclusion, these browser extensions we hope to help you and secure your browsing. Of course, you see and read more about the best secure browser for safety browsing.