The Best Browser Extensions for Online Safety

What are the best browser extensions for online safety and security? There are thousands of browser extensions and they serve several purposes. And almost every extension you come across promises to protect your browsing and give you a customized experience. But with such a large range of extensions to choose from, it’s natural to wonder which ones are the best for you. Regardless of whether you are using the Chrome or Firefox, installing extension on your browser can increase its functionality and even boost its safety. As long as you’re adding the right extensions that is. So which are the best browser extensions for online safety? Read on to find out.

The Ultimate Browser Extensions for Online Safety

So here is a detailed list of some of the most effective and efficient browser add-ons that you can use to keep your online activity secure:

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is among the most renowned names in the VPN industry. They have browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Once you install and turn on the extension, all your activities on that particular browser will be hidden from hackers and ISPs.

However, there is a lot more that ExpressVPN can do for you. If you want it to secure all your activities and not just the ones limited to one browser, you can download and use their app. There are no extra charges for the app – you can buy one license and use the app AND the extension on it.

HTTPS Everywhere

This extension is all-important for the most basic level of security. In fact, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has been making a push for all legitimate websites to have this fundamental level of encryption on their content. It’s easy to spot this feature at work with the padlock sign to the left of the website’s address and the ‘S’ at the end of HTTP. While this feature is not going to save your from any hacking attempts or adware blocks, it is still a useful thing to have.

Avast Online Security

Everybody knows this one and why it is important. Having a good antivirus is really indispensable. It not only ensures you get risk-free browsing but also that you can visit sites that may contain malicious content without worrying. Antimalware is a more specialized software category and the first line of defense against all forms of hacking. We highly recommend you get both to secure your computer against any online threats.

Now that we are done with the basics of how to browse safely, let us look at some more specialized tools that you can use to further entrench your internet safety:

uBlock Origin

When it comes to quality ad blocking extensions, there is none better than uBlock. This adblocker is well-known for its excellent customizability and lightweight features. Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, this add-on does all the work for blocking unwanted ads and also gives you the option of choosing which sites you want to browse block-free.

Also, since it is so easy on your computer’s memory, it allows for a much smoother browsing experience. The only downside to this add-on is that it can be a bit unwieldy for the more casual browser. If you are one of those people who just want ads blocked and don’t want to deal with personalized ad blocking, then AdBlock Plus is a good alternative.

ScriptSafe and NoScript

As their names suggest, these add-ons block all the extra scripting on websites. The upside of this is that none of the added scripts are going to get through without your permission. The problem is that this may cause many sites to default and you would have to select the scripts that you want to be run individually on each site. This aggressive kind of blocking is very useful if you habitually visit unsecured sites. But for the regular user, they might be a bit too much.

With Adblocking out of the way, let’s move on to the more serious stuff. Here are some of the best add-ons for your browser to disable tracking:

Disconnect Private Browsing

For a complete online privacy and protection package, there is no better add-on than this one. It is simply the most comprehensive protection feature that you can add to your desktop and mobile browsers. Disconnect protects from all kinds of third-party cookie-based tracking, injected malware as well provides secure Wi-Fi usage.

Another great thing is that it prevents sidejacking, which is a method used by hackers to gather your personal data even without having access to your password. The add-on is easy to use and navigate and comes in a simple toolbar form. If you are looking for an all-purpose add-on for secure web browsing, this is it.

Do Not Track

The name on this one says it all. This minimalist add-on is perfect for those who want to be selective about what they want to block. This is easily done through the drop-down toolbar which provides you access to all the cookies and scripts the site you visit is using. This add-on doesn’t have as many features as Disconnect, but it is good enough to get the job done for most lightweight users and casual browsers.

Now you know how to give yourself a moderate to high level of control over your online privacy.

The Ultimate Browser Extensions for Online Safety – Wrap Up

And if you’re looking for some apps to keep you safe on your Android, check the list here. These apps will keep your data safe and protect you from hacking and ISP snooping. But make sure you understand that using any and all of these tools does not guarantee you completely safe browsing. You need to be vigilant about your browsing habits to stay completely secure. However, these tools act as a blanket security measure to keep your data safe and private.