3 browser extensions to boost your online security

3 browser extensions to boost your online security
© Marek Uliasz | Dreamstime.com

Staying safe online is important but can quickly become complicated. From choosing strong passwords to being careful with what attachments you open to installing the right antivirus software and more, it’s easy to sink time and money into staying safe. Luckily, you can help protect yourself for free by installing browser extensions.

Worried about your personal information when it comes to online banking? Tap or click here to learn how to bank online safely.

With a handy masked email creation tool, tracking protection and browsing data cleanup extensions, staying safe online can be easier than ever before. Read on to learn exactly how these browser extensions work to keep you safe.

Blur: Password Manager

With Blur: Password Manager, you can generate encrypted passwords, save passwords, and organize all your accounts. But the real standout feature is Blur’s ability to create masked email addresses on the fly.

You can use Blur to generate a temporary, private email address to use to sign into a new site. Emails sent to this address will come to your normal inbox, but if the site you signed up for is ever breached, hackers will not have access to your real email address.

The premium version of Blur, which costs between $2 and $5 per month depending on your plan, also offers masked phone numbers and credit cards.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials

We’re all familiar with advertisement blocker extensions, which work to stop ads from appearing across the internet. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials does something very similar: this extension works to block hidden trackers from accessing identifying information across the internet.

DuckDuckGo also gives you the lowdown on tracking from site to site: the extension adds a toolbar that lists a Privacy Grade for every site. This grade represents how safe you are on a certain site, and users can see the specifics of what’s being tracked.

Many sites work behind-the-scenes to track user data so as to present them with more targeted advertisements as well as share your information with other companies. From securing your private information to searching safely online, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is a one-stop-shop browser extension for comprehensive online security.

RELATED: how to increase privacy on your phone

Click&Clean

Staying safe online means staying safe offline, too. As you browse the internet, sites can download various temporary files, cookies, and even malware onto your computer. Your browser also keeps a comprehensive history of every site you visit. All of this local data can be a security risk, but with Click&Clean, you won’t have to worry.

Click&Clean, with just a single click, allows you to delete typed URLs, temporary files, cookies, and download and browsing history. Click&Clean can also scan your PC for malware and offers extensive customization when it comes to picking and choosing what you’d like to clean and what you’d like to keep.

By keeping track of what’s saved onto your computer, not only can you help to keep yourself safe but you can free up disk space by regularly deleting unimportant files.

Adding these extensions to your browser is simple and free, so there’s no time like the present to upgrade your online security. But, even with these browser extensions it’s still important to make sure you’re careful online. Don’t open strange attachments from unfamiliar email senders and avoid sketchy sites.

Looking to increase your security even further? Tap or click here to find out how to encrypt your emails and text messages.

Tags: browser extensions, malware, online security, password managers, security