This is a continuation of my series on making online browsing more private and secure. The prior in this series covered browser recommendations. This covers browser extension recommendations.
If you go with a better browser (i.e. NOT Chrome, see the other posts for my recs on better browsers) then you do not need many extensions since the better browser itself has privacy and security built in.
Don’t install extensions you don’t need. Installing too many extensions makes your browsing fingerprint more unique and thus easier to track your activity.
It’s like having a safe with 50 locks. Now everyone knows that the safe with 50 locks is yours.
Too many extensions can also slow down your browsing experience. And each additional extension can be a portal to more vulnerabilities and bugs.
For the current moment (the landscape is constantly changing) I recommend the following extensions. Always vet any extensions you download and use.
uBlock Origin with more private settings to help block ads, malware, trackers, miners, popups, sus sites and more.
Extensions like Privacy Badger, Ghostery, and Cookie AutoDelete are unnecessary with a good browser because they’re built in.
My next extension recommendation is a Password Manager. I’ve covered Password Managers in past posts.
A safe with locks is useless if you leave the key out.
Finally, a bonus extension you can use is a Container extension, which allows you to keep your browsing cookies, storage, and data separated by “containers.” For instance, work browsing separated from social media browsing separated from news browsing. Keep them separated.
Remember, more is not always better for extensions. In the past, browsers did the minimum, and extensions for security and privacy made more sense. But now, the browser itself should be more secure.
Browsing online consists of many components that I will cover. Browsers and extensions, which I have already covered. And I’ll talk soon about search engines, ISPs, storage, your behavior and more.
Comments are closed.