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When you look through Firefox\u2019s add-ons site or the Google Chrome store, you\u2019ll find a ton of browser extensions, each with their own ratings and descriptions neatly laid out for you. There\u2019s a ton of stuff you can get and most of it is free.\u00a0 Both of the above-mentioned sources are very trustworthy and come from the developers of the
\nbrowser you may be using. Sadly, this doesn\u2019t mean that you should just hop right in and download anything that meets your eyes. There are a lot of malicious extensions out there that can be used to hijack your computers. Granted, browser developers do their best to keep malware out of their extension stores. However, their security isn\u2019t always going to stop the bad guys from butting in and giving you a bad apple. It\u2019s the unfortunate truth of the Internet. To prevent compromising your computer, only get extensions that have lots of positive feedback. Search Google for the name of the extension, the name of your browser, and then the word \u201cmalware\u201d after it. See what you find!<\/p>\n
2: Extensions can be forcibly installed on your computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n It shouldn\u2019t have happened to me, but it did: I downloaded malicious software and opened it. It happens to the best of us. During the installation, it sneaked in an extension on my Chrome browser that popped up ads every few pages I visited. I looked at my list of extensions and, surely enough, there it was. There was something there I didn\u2019t ever install myself. Forcible infections via proxy have a way with making your computer behave in all sorts of inexplicably funny ways. To prevent something like this from happening, download software that comes from trusted publishers. Avoid big green \u201cDownload\u201d buttons that appear next to a ton of other \u201cDownload\u201d buttons on some websites. A lot of people fall for this trick and\u00a0\u00a0 it\u2019s sad to see how many actually get infected.<\/p>\n 3: Be careful when giving your information to an extension.<\/strong><\/p>\n Seriously, I can\u2019t stress it enough: Use extensions only from trusted developers. Just because an extension is working as it should be doesn\u2019t mean that it won\u2019t unintentionally leak information about you to malicious sources. A hacker can access the extension developer\u2019s database and steal all the information it collected about you. In this day and age, that\u2019s how most compromises happen. Large database leaks can really disrupt the lives of many people. Make sure you know what the extension is taking from you. Does it need your credit card info? Your phone number? How about your passwords? Don\u2019t give a browser extension any information that you would mind being leaked, unless you\u2019re certain the information is encrypted upon storage and decrypted on your computer with a passkey that you control. I would also recommend 2 crucial things you need on your computer to help protect you from virus and maleware. One is a program I talked about in past post MALEWAREBYTES<\/a> this is the best freeware maleware scanner out there and is really effective and worth the price for the pay version.\u00a0 The next program is Microsoft Security Essentials<\/a> is another freeware security that I must say is the best virus scanner I have found beyond expectations over paid anti virus scanners.\u00a0 There you have it the only 2 programs to help keep you safe you will ever need. Make sure when downloading and installing these you first remove any other virus scanners you have on your system.<\/p>\n Anything Else?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s all about trust and scrutiny. Before downloading anything, scrutinize it carefully. Playing detective is always fun, anyway! If you have more thoughts on the subject, leave a comment below!<\/p>\n Have a Great Week Browser extensions have been around for a while, but it wasn\u2019t until recently that they started playing more of a role in your browsing experience than the pesky tool-bars we used to see back in the days of Internet Explorer 6. Granted, there are still many people new to the whole extension thing, along with … Continue reading <\/p>\n
\nDeuce Marjeta
\nOperations Manager<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"