The online world isn’t any less scary than our offline reality; it’s just that the dangers are different. The valuable data that we store on our PCs, such as addresses, credit card information, other payment methods, bank details, passwords, and log-in information, can all go away in the blink of an eye in specific cases, especially those where the victim fell inside the trap of cybercriminals and end up losing their personal valuables.
This guide will explain how to prevent those scenarios from ever bumping into you with some of the most world-class Chrome Web Store extensions for Google Chrome. Whether you wish to keep your log-in data private or feel the need to surf the internet with complete anonymity, these tools should become a part of your daily routine. Let’s begin the guide and show you what these extensions are.
Best Chrome Web Store extensions for online high-security
The detailed entries will cover the high ground regarding reliability and security for you. Each extension will strive to serve a specific purpose, so you should try them all out for notable results.
1. Avast Online Security and Privacy
Avast Online Security and Privacy
It’s generally considered one of the best practices to keep antivirus software installed on your PC in some shape or form. Although Windows Defender offers tight security as part of its default working mechanism, going the extra mile, in this case, is something you’ll never come to regret. Avast is a massive name in this industry, with a clean track record to back up its stance. It’s fast, simple, highly secure, and deserves a place in your Chrome browser.
After installing the extension, Avast readily scans every website you visit for malicious content and to authenticate whether any malware is headed your way. If obstructions are detected, the extension tells you to leave the website as a pre-emptive measure so that it can block the real-time threat. Moreover, the antivirus program eliminates trackers and invasive cookies for you, so your browsing data and other information is never outed to any website.
2. Click&Clean
Click&Clean on Google Chrome
Besides the usual stuff, Click&Clean offers a level of security that is unique in its working way. It paves the way for users to conveniently clean their browser and make it anew, ready to help increase browsing speed and make the overall experience much safer. Its added features include scanning your PC for antivirus, erasing your history and cached data with a single click, and even refreshing your hard drives for smoother performance.
It also makes browsing safer by getting rid of typed URLs and deleting your private data, so it cannot be tracked anymore. Click&Clean also employs another functionality called “Securely close browser” when you want to shut your PC down. Using the feature to close Chrome means you’re eradicating all traces of your internet searches before putting the PC to sleep.
3. Sitejabber: Ratings & Reviews on Every Site
Sitejabber: Ratings & Reviews on Every Site on Google Chrome
Thinking about shopping online from a site you or your friends haven’t purchased anything from before? You’re going to be concerned about the quality of the product you’re about to buy, let alone the whole site being a sham that sends nothing but disappointment people’s way. Sitejabber is a robust solution to scenarios like these, pulling up a detailed chart of community reviews and ratings about a particular website, so you won’t ever have to get scammed again.
Although it’s a shopping-centric extension, what it does, in the long run, is prevent you from being deceived by sellers online. Head to a site and tap on Sitejabber’s extension icon. You’ll quickly be able to visualize the rating of that particular site, not to mention the inclusion of other metrics as well, such as service, value, shipping, returns, and quality. If you are a shopaholic, this add-on is built just for you.
4. Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker
Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker on Google Chrome
Ghostery is a well-reputed Chrome extension on the Web Store. It is recognized for its insight to prevent trackers from hunting your browsing pattern down and stopping advertisements from cluttering your screen. Whether it’s Facebook, YouTube, or any other site you want to visit without ads, Ghostery has you covered. A feature of the extension that sets it apart from its counterparts is “Never Consent.”
We may never realize it on our own, but we may unintentionally agree to cookie popups across various websites, thinking that doing so will not harm us. In reality, you agree to those sites tracking you. Still, Ghostery is out and about to prevent that by automatically declining such requests as soon as they surface. The application is free to use, open-source, and supported by a multitude of people across the globe.
5. Adblock Plus – free ad blocker
Adblock Plus – free ad blocker on Google Chrome
In today’s day and age, where advertisements run rampant across the globe, an adblocker is the only tool that can help you enjoy a comfortable online browsing experience. For that matter, Adblock Plus is a reliable Chrome extension with a colossal user base that stretches to tens of millions of people. It’s also a featured application on the Web Store, so you know you’re in good hands immediately.
One significant advantage of using the extension is that it also blocks YouTube ads for you, which have become increasingly annoying over the years. Some cannot even be skipped and come in two or three sequences! “Malvertisement” is a term for particular ads that hide malware inside them. Adblock Plus keeps a good eye out for such viruses and ensures you never have to run into them, thanks to its timely alerting that steps in ahead of time.
6. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials on Google Chrome
With over 6 million users and many positive reviews backing up this extension, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is geared toward your browser’s protection by incorporating several strategies. The moment you install the extension, it first takes out Google as your default search engine and replaces it with its very own DuckDuckGo web crawler. Additionally, it swaps the “New Tab” page with DuckDuckGo’s home page.
The duo of these efforts comes together to boost your privacy, but that’s not where this extension draws the line. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essential’s greatest strength is its third-party ad tracking blocking, which many websites carry out as part of their daily routine. Through the implementation of third-party scripts, your browsing patterns are tracked to sell you stuff through advertisements, but not under DuckDuckGo’s watch.
7. Netcraft Extension
Netcraft Extension on Google Chrome
Among the sea of options you have when it boils down to the variety of privacy-oriented extensions out there, Netcraft Extension takes a much different approach to keep you safe online. First, it’s a highly convenient tool for looking up exhaustive site information, which might take considerably longer for you to uncover. For instance, parameters such as the site’s first-seen data and how well it ranks on Google can be observed with one glance.
The other major part of Netcraft’s functionality is oriented around phishing. The extension is developed by a prominent anti-phishing community that tracks the vast stretches of the internet and scans for sites that actively partake in phishing. For the uninitiated, phishing is when a site contacts you and purports to be something or someone you know, attempting for you to reveal your bank details and credit card information to steal your money effectively.
Therefore, Netcraft also protects against harmful JavaScript extensions that try to fetch your card details. Shopping site skimmers are the main culprits behind this act, but the add-on at hand takes excellent measures to negate any monetary loss from your side. Given the feature set and the overall security layers exhibited by this extension, Netcraft is a must-have on Google Chrome if you prioritize your safety above everything else.
8. LastPass: Free Password Manager
LastPass on Google Chrome
Keeping your passwords all in one place can be difficult if you’re alone, and remembering them perfectly for the relevant occasion is even more challenging. Combine all that with the impending security risk, which is a reasonably bothersome scenario. However, you can painlessly make things for yourself much smoother to work with, thanks to a top-grade Chrome extension called LastPass—a program built to store your passwords securely.
LastPass is also useful when it comes to creating new accounts and picking a password for them as well. It employs strong password suggestions to help you create a tightly shut account and then stores its suggestions to help you remember them later. Moreover, the overall functionality of the browser stretches beyond just password-keeping. It can sort your autofill requirements by saving passports, addresses, insurance cards, and credit card numbers.
9. Privacy Badger
Privacy Badger on Google Chrome
Coming straight from the headquarters of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international-level company that advocates for digital rights, Privacy Badger is a unique Chrome extension. It is built with the ability to send a “Do Not Track” signal by default to websites for automatic tracker blocking. However, if specific sites refuse to comply, the extension will block those domains for you to ensure complete privacy.
Privacy Badger boasts more than 1 million users on the Web Store and is also revered with the “Featured” label. Aside from the “Do Not Track” feature, the add-on also pushes out a “Global Privacy Control” signal that, according to the developer, “opts you out of data sharing and selling,” so you’re not misrepresented by any company online. The application remains updated and is a must-have for consolidated cybersecurity.
10. uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin on Google Chrome
Next, we’ve got uBlock Origin earning a spot on this list. It’s a featured extension on the Web Store with more than 10 million users to its name, and let us tell you why. This is one of the few ad blockers in the business that prioritizes low system resource consumption, primarily concerning the CPU and memory. It operates silently and is highly power-efficient, presenting many features to go along, such as its malicious URL blocklist capability.
The program is open-source and has many advanced features you won’t find in most other extensions belonging to the same domain. For starters, uBlock Origin lets you block JavaScript on the go and set rules to override the contents of filter lists for ads and privacy trackers. Do give it a shot on your end and tell us in the comments how it went.
11. Trend Micro Check – Browser Security
Trend Micro Check – Browser Security on Google Chrome
Trend Micro Check is another security-oriented Chrome Web Store extension that can block ads and trackers and help you avoid harmful websites. In addition, the software can scan your social media accounts to verify if their safety is intact and protected against cybercriminals. If the extension detects suspicious activity on your browser or social media account, you will be notified to take the relevant measures and weed out the issue.
Another highly sought-after feature of Trend Micro Check is that it protects you from phishing scams that dubious websites make their victims fall prey to. It does this by performing a comprehensive scan that identifies the page ranking you’re about to click on Google. Low-grade sites tend to comprise the highest number of scams and malware, but the tool in question can help you steer clear of these domains ahead of time.
12. Disconnect on Google Chrome
Disconnect on Google Chrome
Last but not least, Disconnect is yet another prolific Chrome extension that lives and breathes to keep users safe while surfing the web online. How it does that is another story, though. It’s common knowledge that websites track your online browsing identity to replicate your profile and show you more personalized ads. With Disconnect, those trackers are eliminated right from the get-go, resulting in pages loading 44% faster.
Conclusion
Although intrinsically secure, the Chrome browser is fantastic in enhancing its base capabilities with the Chrome Web Store in the form of installable extensions. These handy utilities integrate with the web crawler in a native manner, allowing users to tap into their functionality with just a couple of clicks. For instance, some of the best Chrome extensions for travelers and digital nomads extend their service within Chrome without redirecting to another page.
In this listicle, we’ve explained the essence of keeping yourself safe online with the application of cybersecurity-oriented Chrome extensions. LastPass should keep your passwords safe and sound while suggesting consolidating passwords for new account registrations, so you can avoid using something basic for your protection. Let us know in the comments ahead whether the article helped you out.
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