These days, digital privacy is of upmost importance — whether you’re wary of government surveillance, identity thieves or corporate espionage. This kind of fortification was once only understood by people in the tech world, but in the past several years, a community of privacy-minded developers made digital security accessible to everyone.

Implementing these tools is as simple as downloading an app, allowing the average person to use the internet with peace of mind. The most common type of plugin you probably already have is an ad blocker. While most ads are merely an annoyance, some are capable of installing malware on your computer. This can easily be avoided with a browser plugin like uBlock Origin, which will hide or disable such intrusions; just remember to whitelist www.globaltravelerusa.com.

A plugin like this can be trusted thanks to its open source design, meaning its code is available to everyone for modification as well as verification to make sure there’s no backdoor or malicious intent.

Ads are just one threat out of many on the internet, but thankfully the Electronic Frontier Foundation is dedicated to ensuring privacy for even the least tech-savvy people. The organization has two plugins available on its site to shore up your browser’s security. One is HTTPS Everywhere, which automatically requests encrypted connections to sites you visit — only when available.

The other is Privacy Badger, an ingenious plugin that prevents advertisers and third parties from tracking you through cookies. The software takes some time to become effective, as it adjusts the settings based on your internet usage, ensuring a balance between privacy and usability.

— Akhil Kalepu, Digital Coordinator and Technology Columnist