10 Firefox Add-ons That Ensure You Are Protected

The user-friendly web browser, Mozilla’s Firefox is used by almost 35% of web users, mainly because it provides a plethora of useful features that greatly enhance browsing experience. Internet today is not only an infinite source of all kind of information and various types of entertainment, but a number of risks are also associated with the use of internet.

A few problems that worry web users are Trojans, hackers, phishing sites, and spam. However, these threats must not keep one from using the web. Especially Firefox users need not worry a bit since there is a whole army of plug-ins to ensure that one has a protected browsing experience.

Below are the 10 Firefox add-ons that ensure protection while using web:

• HTTPS Everywhere: This project that has been started by Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is an organization with the aim of protecting digital rights. This great tool loads https version of any website you visit and thus secures the browsing experience. When browsing in https mode, data that one sends is SSL-encrypted, which means it cannot be misused by anyone.
• Web of Trust (WOT): This is an online community that identifies spam websites and maintains a record of trustworthy websites. This tool informs users whether the website they are going to visit is trustworthy or not.
• Adblock Plus: This tool helps users to allow only those ads to show on websites that are non-intrusive. Ads pose threat to security and are annoying. This tool makes browsing protected by blocking all types of ads.
• NoScript: This powerful tool allows users to create a list for allowing only trusted websites to run executable form of content like Java, Flash and JavaScript. By blocking such content, this tool ensures that one is protected from attacks like cross-site scripting, cross-zone DNS rebinding or CSRF attacks and Click-jacking attempts.
• BetterPrivacy: Super-cookies or LSOs are a kind of flash cookies that carry information about the user and their online activity. Using BetterPrivacy, one can choose to delete LSOs while browsing or to keep the LSOs which they do not want to be deleted.
• Ghostery: This add-on works by identifying who is tracking you while you are browsing the web. A number of advertising companies track users’ online activities to use for their marketing purposes. With this useful tool one can choose to block the scripts from any company which they feel is not trustworthy.
• RequestPolicy: A cross-site request is made when your webpage tells your browser to access a page which is completely different from what you requested. In this way, the user unknowingly allows another website to procure information. This plug-in will inform you when any cross-site requests are made.
• Close’n Forget: In case you unintentionally login to a webpage that you should not be using on a public computer and are unable to clear history, then this add-on will come handy. With this tool, the browser will not remember the pages opened.
• QuickJava: This is a useful tool which makes it convenient for users to toggle JavaScript, Flash, Java, Silverlight, Proxy, and the process of automatic loading of pictures from toolbar or status bar, on and off. This plug-in doesn’t require opening of dialogue boxes or selecting options.
• BrowserProtect: Sometimes, after installing new software, the homepage or the search engine changes automatically. This is known as hijacking and you need to reset the settings to meet your requirements. BrowserProtect is a great plug-in which protects users from homepage and search engine hijacking.