Surfing the internet today can feel like walking through a dodgy neighborhood at night. You never know when you might get scammed, hacked, or have your personal information stolen online.
That‘s why beefing up your browser‘s security is critical for protecting your privacy and peace of mind.
The good news is Chrome has a massive library of extensions that can help shield you from online threats. I‘ve tested dozens of them to come up with this list of the 12 best Chrome security extensions for locking down your web browser in 2023.
Ad Blockers: Stop Malicious Ads and Tracking Scripts
Online ads pose huge security and privacy risks these days. Not only are they annoying, but they can load malware, cram your browser with tracking cookies, and siphon personal data.
A good ad blocker should be the first extension you install. Here are two top options:
uBlock Origin
With over 10 million users, uBlock Origin is the most popular ad blocker for Chrome. It blocks all ads by default, stopping formats like pop-ups, banners, and video commercials dead in their tracks.
uBlock also thwarts webpage trackers and lets you toggle blocking for specific sites. The customization options are endless for maximizing online privacy.
AdGuard AdBlocker
AdGuard takes a sophisticated approach to ad blocking. It has a regularly updated database of advertising and tracking domains that it blocks by default. You can also block additional domains manually.
Beyond ads, AdGuard can also foil website trackers, phishing sites, and annoying GDPR cookie consent notices. The premium version unlocks advanced ad blocking on mobile too.
Password Managers: Generate and Store Secure Passwords
According to some estimates, the average internet user has over 100 online accounts. Managing that many passwords is impossible without password manager software.
Password managers generate strong, random passwords for all your accounts and store them securely behind one master password. Here are two top options for Chrome:
Bitwarden
Bitwarden is my password manager of choice. It offers a full suite of features including password generation and autofill, encrypted storage across devices, password sharing, and two-factor authentication.
The free version has everything an individual needs. For family or team plans, Bitwarden is cheaper than competing options. An open-source codebase also makes Bitwarden transparent and auditable for security.
LastPass
LastPass is the most established name in password management. Like Bitwarden, it handles password storage, generation, auto-fill, and syncing across devices.
While more expensive, LastPass offers advanced features like cloud backups and emergency access options. Biometric logins provide added security on mobile. LastPass Families manages passwords for up to 6 users.
VPN: Encrypt Traffic and Hide IP Address
Virtual private networks (VPNs) are essential for security and privacy online. They encrypt your internet traffic so hackers can‘t see what you‘re accessing. VPNs also hide your IP address and location, providing anonymity.
Here are two top-rated Chrome VPN extensions from leading providers:
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN consistently ranks as the fastest and most secure consumer VPN service. The Chrome extension delivers the same excellent performance, with 160 server location options and unlimited bandwidth.
I like ExpressVPN for unlocking geo-restricted content on streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu. But its top-notch encryption, zero logging policy, and kill switch make it fantastic for privacy too.
CyberGhost
Boasting over 10 million users worldwide, CyberGhost is a huge player in the VPN space. Its Chrome extension brings the same robust privacy protection and fast speeds with access to 7400 servers worldwide.
Like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost has extensive security features like 256-bit AES encryption, an automatic kill switch, and a strict no logging policy. It‘s a fantastic VPN option for Chrome.
Anti-Tracking Extensions
Online tracking is rampant, with advertisers and big tech compiling exhaustive profiles about what sites you visit, links you click, and content you view. Anti-tracking extensions disrupt this data collection to take back your privacy.
Here are two stellar options:
Ghostery
Ghostery makes it easy to see and shut down all the ad trackers and analytics scripts running on websites you visit. With a single click, Ghostery can block them all.
You can also fine-tune tracker blocking on a site-by-site basis. Ghostery even offers enhanced privacy features like system-wide ad blocking and protection against cryptomining scripts.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
This handy extension from privacy-centric search engine DuckDuckGo packs loads of tracking protections. It blocks hidden trackers and forces encryption on eligible sites.
I like how Privacy Essentials grades websites based on their privacy practices. You can instantly see how many trackers a site tries to load and easily block them individually or all at once. It‘s a fantastic tool for controlling who gets your data.
Get DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
Phishing Protection
Phishing websites impersonate legitimate sites to steal passwords, financial information, or install malware. But phishing filters can detect fraudulent sites and block them automatically.
Here are two top options:
Netcraft Extension
Powered by Netcraft‘s constantly updated database of phishing threats, this handy extension automatically blocks dangerous websites before you can access them.
The Netcraft extension also shows the real site owner when you hover over a link, helping uncover sketchy impersonator sites. If you do land on a suspicious page, you can easily report it to Netcraft for analysis.
Web of Trust
Web of Trust takes crowdsourced reviews to provide reputation ratings for websites. Millions of users vote on sites to judge things like trustworthiness, privacy, and child safety.
The Chrome extension uses this real-user data to caution you about risky sites related to malware, spam, scams, and adult content. I like how it color codes links to reveal the possible danger before visiting unknown sites.
Malware Scanners
Malware lurks everywhere online today – hacked sites, tainted ads, email links. Malware scanners can catch infections before they compromise your computer.
Here are two good options:
Avast Online Security
From leading antivirus provider Avast comes this handy Chrome extension that blocks malware-ridden links, dodgy ads, fake sites, and other online threats.
Avast Online Security seamlessly integrates web filtering and malware detection technologies to catch threats in real-time. An easy interface also clearly labels dangerous sites and lets you enable protections with one click.
Malwarebytes Browser Guard
Malwarebytes makes top-notch malware protection tools for Windows and Mac. Its Chrome extension brings similar scanning smarts directly into your browser.
Malwarebytes Browser Guard Checks sites in real-time and blocks malicious pages. It also flags dangerous links in search results before you click them. Automatic scans monitor downloads too. This extra malware defense is clutch for reinforcing browser security.
Get Malwarebytes Browser Guard
Privacy Enhancements
Beyond the extensions listed above, you can further harden browser privacy with these specialty tools:
- Privacy Redirect: Redirects Twitter, YouTube, Instagram links through privacy-friendly proxies
- ScriptSafe: Granular control over JavaScript on sites to block unsafe scripts
- CanvasBlocker: Spoofs or blocks device fingerprinting via the Canvas API
- Cookie AutoDelete: Automatically erases cookies after each browsing session
Protect your online privacy and security by combining extensions that block ads, trackers, malware, phishing scams and more malicious stuff on the web.
With the right tools in place, you can browse in confidence instead of apprehension. Stay safe out there!
