Always check that you’re at the correct URL, that the connection is secure (indicated by the closed padlock next to the URL), and that the extension you’re installing has lots of users and reviews. Read more: The best free VPNs for browsing the web safely and securelyĪn ad blocker needs to be able to read what’s on your screen in order to remove ads, so if you end up installing something sketchy, you could be opening up your machine to some serious vulnerabilities. Even in this list there are two almost identically named extensions – AdBlock and Adblock Plus – which have nothing to do with one another, but are both authentic browser add-ons. You should be particularly careful when searching online for ad blockers and other free software, as the internet is rife with malicious adware and dodgy browser extensions with confusingly similar names to legitimate ad blockers.