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A few weeks ago, Chrome noticed a critical security bug and released a hotfix with recommendations to update ASAP. Chrome is not the only browser affected. Any Chromium-based browser (Brave, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and others) can be exploited. Google labeled it high severity so update your browser if you haven’t done so already.
Google Chrome is an undisputed favorite among web browsers. It holds 65% market share worldwide, Safari reaping 18% (because of iPhones), and the rest gathering a couple of sympathy percent. Due to its popularity, it’s a juicy target for cyberattacks. Breaking Google’s security is challenging. But as the vulnerability above illustrates, it’s not impossible.
What’s more, Google is the opposite of privacy-friendly. The company has been caught harvesting excessive user data numerous times. It doesn’t mean you have to leave Chrome and the comfort it provides. But it would be best to take additional steps to secure this browser.
Below we have listed several security solutions for Google Chrome. They have two goals: to protect against cyber threats and secure your online privacy. Let’s go over privacy protection first.
Privacy Protection Solutions For Chrome
Chrome would love to take a peek at your online activities. But they provide reasonable privacy protection features for those willing to look. Visit Chrome browser Settings and go to the Privacy and security tab.
Firstly, you can manage your cookies. Cookies are little pieces of data that verify your identity to websites. They are widely used for online tracking, so every website now needs to ask you to accept them.
You can choose to block third-party cookies or block all cookies whatsoever. The last option makes the Internet less comfortable to use. The ads will be randomized, and you must log in whenever you want to use any personal service. On the other hand, it’s the price to pay for online privacy.
When you finish browsing, Chrome allows you to clear all cookies and site data. It’s another solution to cookie tracking. You can also send a “do not track” request to every page you visit. They will happily ignore it, but some privacy enthusiasts may implement a proper response on their website.
We recommend trying out different privacy settings to see how it feels. Let’s go to privacy protection extensions.
Choose a Password Manager
Nowadays, people use lots of password-protected services. Social media, browser games, and streaming services require a password to log in. But it’s impossible to have unique and complex passwords and remember them all by heart. People choose to reuse the same password more than once, which gives hackers something to work with.
Chrome offers to save your passwords, but it’s a questionable suggestion coming from a data-mining company. You can rely on a professional password manager that has a Chrome extension. It will generate unique and complex passwords and store them in an encrypted vault.
High-quality password managers have a zero-knowledge architecture, which means that nobody else can get access to your password. Remember, you must not lose the master password that unlocks the vault because you may lose your passwords forever. On the other hand, one password is easier to remember than dozens of them.
AdBlocks and Disabling Trackers
Here’s a list of excellent extensions that block ads and disable trackers.
- Privacy badger. A non-profit digital rights group, Electronic Frontier Foundation, offers a tracker blocker badger. It uses AI to identify tracker behaviors. This gives an upper hand against pre-set tracker identification lists and will catch more trackers than others. The badger learns over time and will build its list of unfriendly sites. The more you browse, the bigger the list gets, and the extension improves over time.
- Ghostery. It’s one of the few paid privacy protection extensions worth your money. Ghostery offers an innovative blocking feature, which will permit harmless trackers (sometimes they are necessary) and block malicious ones. Moreover, Ghostery will provide detailed information about your trackers and their functions.
- Unshorten.link. This is an excellent tool for Phishing scam protection. Cybercriminals do their best to trick people into clicking infected links. One of the methods is to shorten the links artificially to look legit. This extension will reverse the process giving you the full view of where you’re going. Use it to identify malicious links and prevent virus infections.
Conclusion
Google Chrome is undoubtedly comfortable. But it’s even better when made safe to use. Remember, hackers are one problem. A lot of legit businesses gather your user data. So if you want to protect yourself and your online privacy, these solutions are a perfect way to start.
