5 Plugins for Firefox Security and Privacy

Browser security is an issue for every internet user. With sensitive information being stored on our computers, hackers can easily get personal information such as credit cards, social security numbers, etc. Identity theft is one of the largest security problems facing us today. Although Firefox is a secure browser, I am sure all of us would like to have our personal information as safe as possible. The following five Firefox plug-ins will give you some extra insurance when it comes to internet privacy and safety.

5. Stealther

If you are paranoid and want to leave no traces while surfing the web, Stealther is the perfect plug-in. Stealther will allow you to temporarily stop browsing history, downloaded files history, sending of Referrer Header, disk cache, saved forms info, and recently closed tabs list. Stealther also allows Firefox to begin tracking the aforementioned features with a simple click.

4. BetterPrivacy

BetterPrivacy stops a new generation of cookies dubbed 'Super-Cookies'. These are undeletable and long term, and they seemingly have invaded the internet as of recent. It also has the options of blocking these types of tracking from EBay, YouTube, Google, etc.

3. WOT

WOT, or Web of Trust, will warn the user of any site that tries to scam you, deliver spam to you, or potentially infect your computer with malware. WOT has color coded icons that show ratings for twenty-one million websites. Safe is green, suspicious is yellow, and dangerous is red. WOT uses a four tier system to formulate ratings: child safety, privacy, vendor reliability, and trustworthiness.

2. Adblock+

Adblock plus is the single most popular Firefox add-on for security. It features above 730,000 downloads per week. What it does is simple, yet very effective and useful: it blocks all those pesky advertisements and banners on web pages. You just need to right-click on any banner that you don't wish to see anymore and choose to block in from the context menu. This not only makes web pages easier on the eyes, but it also decreases loading times and allows you to surf the web more efficiently.

1. NoScript

NoScript deserves the number one spot, as it is one of my favorite Firefox add-ons for security. NoScript allows you to specify which web pages you want to run active content on, such as JavaScript, Java code, etc, thus protecting you from any XSS attacks and Clickjacking attacks.

If you use Firefox and have enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy my tutorial on Maximizing Firefox Browsing Speed.