When it comes to browsers Mozilla’s firefox is by far the king of them all. The real reason is that firefox is more than just a browser but a web platform. Just look at the sheer amount of addons it supports. Some of the addons related to security and privacy of the users are an absolute must have for any web user who cares about that kind of stuff.
Here we list the security related addons which we use and rely on a daily basis.
Adblock Plus /NoScript:
Both Adblock Plus and NoScript are addons for blocking ads though both do them in entirely different ways. Adblock uses a filtering approach wheras NoScript is a javascript blocker, plain and simple. Both can co-exist but I prefer Adblock Plus and use NoScript in the case when there are reports of a javascript attack of some sorts. Blocking unwanted ads is the first step towards being more secure online. Life on the intertubes wouldn’t be worth living without AdBlock Plus.
Better Privacy:
Ok you’re conscious about your privacy and this addon is there to help you. It protects you against the long term cookies stored by flash plugins which are there to stay. What most sites do is reinstall tracking cookies even after you delete them. I learnt about it from an eye opening wired.com article and this has since been the first addon I install.
FoxyProxy:
As the name suggests foxy proxy is a proxy manager but it’s the best one there is for firefox. It automatically (or based on your rules) searches for proxies and assigns them. A must have when in mood for some hassle free browsing.
Ghostery:
It let’s you see who’s tracking you so you can block them. You must know your enemy before you can defend against the and this addon tells you who they are.
Request Policy:
Cross site requests are a real problem in web security. You may visit a site which might redirect you to a dozen other places. Use this addon to block those kind of requests. All cross site requests will require your permission.
Torbutton:
Implements a one click on/off button to use the tor onion routing protocols. Perhaps the best way to remain anonymous on the internet is the use of Tor.
BugMeNot:
Ever wanted to try a new web service which asked for a compulsory registration. Well most of them just spam the hell once you register. That’s where this addon comes handy. It bypasses mandatory web registration from the context menu via accounts created on their site. So you can test a new service without giving away your email id.
HideBad:
Saves all tabs and opens your homepage. Ideal for Office. Also can clear your history and passwords and restore them later. Don’t let people at your office get hold of this, employers.
WOT:
Know what other people visit and trust as safe? This addon let’s you know on your search result’s and through a toolbar icon which sites are untrustworthy through a color code. It has ratings of about 21 million websites so you are in safe hands.
LastPass Password Manager:
Out of the many good password manager’s for firefox I use Lastpass because it catches many forms that other simply miss out. It’s an online manager and it’s easy to import and export your passwords. Your sensitive data is encrypted locally before being uploaded so even LastPass can’t see it. All you need is 1 master password.
Know any cool addons related to security and privacy we missed out? Do share with us in the comments.
