Here is a little more about the extension from the developer:

Unlike other earlier opt-out solutions, this tool will make the cookies completely persistent. That is, clearing the browser’s cookies will delete all other installed cookies, except these.  Users wishing to delete these 40+ cookies (some advertising networks require multiple cookies, for different domain names) must first remove the add-on, before then deleting all installed cookies from the preferences window.

For a list of the 33 advertising networks that this tool help you hide from, check out the developer’s official web site.  So if you are more than a little concerned about who is watching you, this is a great security related add-on to add to your Firefox install.  Who said tacos aren’t good for you?  This one will help protect your privacy!

Here are some of the most popular plugins that help with increasing the privacy or security for your Firefox installation.

NoScript

The best security you can get in a web browser! Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.

WOT

WOT, Web of Trust, warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. Protect your computer against online threats by using WOT as your front-line layer of protection when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory.

Stealther

Do you like to pretend that you are a super secret spy when browing the Web? Maybe you just don’t want that nosy brother or sister looking in on what you have been doing. No matter the situation, if you want to stay secret – the Stealther Firefox extension is for you.

FoxyProxy

FoxyProxy is an advanced proxy management tool that completely replaces Firefox’s limited proxying capabilities. It offers more features than SwitchProxy, ProxyButton, QuickProxy, xyzproxy, ProxyTex, TorButton, etc.

Fire Encrypter

Want Firefox to help you encrypt your secret files and documents? Maybe you just want to learn more about the encryption process? No matter which camp you fall into, the Fire Encrypter Firefox extension is for you. It brings the top secret world of encryption right into your favorite little browser.

Sxipper

Forget your passwords! Sxipper accurately fills in forms, manages passwords and your OpenIDs.

CookieCuller

Want more control over your cookies? No, I’m not talking about the ones your grandmother loves to shove down your throat – I am talking about the ones that involve your browser. The Firefox extension CookieCuller gives you total control over which cookies stay on your computer by letting you protect cookies of your choice while automatically deleting the rest.

Flashblock

Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content.

TrackMeNot

With all this talk about your privacy being attacked and people snooping on what you have been searching about, you are bound to feel a little paranoid. You might be watching over your shoulder as you type. You might be turning the lights out before you get Online. How can you protect yourself from being tracked in your searches though? If you use Firefox, you need the TrackMeNot extension.

BugMeNot

Tired of web sites asking you to register to view the content inside?  Bypass compulsory web registration with the context menu via bugmenot.com.

Know of another Firefox security add-on that is well worth using, just not that popular yet?  Do any of these add-ons make you sleep a little easier at night?  Let me know what you think the best security add-on for Firefox is.

Got this e-mailed in from a reader, so wanted to spread the word.  Can never be too careful these days.

BitDefender has identified this new bit of holiday cheer as Trojan.PWS.ChromeInject.A” (the ChromeInject suffix refers to the Chrome component of Firefox). The trojan installs itself into Firefox’s add-on directory, registers itself as Greasemonkey, and begins searching your hard drive for passwords, login details, your World of WarCraft account information, and your library card number.

You can read more about the situation over at ars technica.  The real Greasemonkey is still malware-free and is totally safe to use. This trojan in question isn’t even the Greasemonkey script.  It just calls itself that to try to trick you down download it.  This seems to be a pretty stupid move from the trojan writers though, due to the fact that Firefox users who use Greasemoney (I would say) have a little higher Internet intelligence than your average punch a monkey to win a iPod person.

Need Help? Be sure to check out the Beginner’s Guide to Greasemonkey!

Firefox has some great add-ons to use when it comes to blocking, filtering or checking out the sometimes shady information that may be passing through it.

LeechBlock – This extension is much more for saving you from looking at random stupid links when you should be working.  If you can not keep yourself focused, you may need to add this to your own Firefox install.

Flashblock – Tired of seeing the offers to punch President Bush, the Pope or any other important person to win an iPod?  The Flashblock add-on has your back as it will block all flash until it is told not to.

Adblock Plus – How could you not love Adblock Plus?  Filter out the ads you don’t want to see – and automatically subscribe to filters so you don’t waste time setting these things up yourself.  Not to mention, I did interview the creator of the script a few months back (very awesome guy!).

NoScript – NoScript allow JavaScript, Java and other executable content to run only from sites you trust.  Some feel it is better to browse the Web this way to make sure you don’t get bit by something nasty by randomly surfing through pages.

CookieSafe – This extension will allow you to easily control cookie permissions. It will appear on your statusbar. Just click on the icon to allow, block, or temporarily allow the site to set cookies.

Know of another blocking or filtering tool that does a better job?

If you have found yourself in the same boat I am in right now you might want to pick up the TrackMeNot extension for Firefox. Not sure what its about? Here is how the creators explain it:

TrackMeNot is a lightweight browser extension that helps protect web searchers from surveillance and data-profiling by search engines. It does so not by means of concealment or encryption (i.e. covering one’s tracks), but instead, paradoxically, by the opposite strategy: noise and obfuscation.

You can learn more about TrackMeNot via the official web site as well. This is a great tool for not just the paranoid among us but the folks that want to stay protected as well.

Personal content filter based on user-defined preferences such as keywords, filtering sensitivity settings and URL exceptions. Password protected (default password is “foxfilter”).

Yet another interesting way of filtering content for your Firefox browser. The one feature I really like is the blocking by keyword. That is really neat, and have not seen it in too many other downloads like this.

+ Download and Install the FilterFox Extension for Firefox!

1. NoScript
2. WOT
3. McAfee SiteAdvisor
4. FoxyProxy
5. Fire Encrypter

Have one that I might have missed or overlooked? Leave a comment and share it with the rest of the class.

Sometimes it’s easier to just make shit up than to actually research a story. That seems to be the case with the (no byline) story at Platinax Small Business News.

The article starts off by claiming that to use the phishing protection feature “properly, you have to send Google a record of every single website you visit.” Not only is this blatantly false, but even the most cursory investigation of the feature would have revealed that.

Next, the writer tries to walk the absurdity back a bit by saying that “[phishing protection] does require an explicit opt-in”. But once again he’s wrong. Users get the benefit of this feature out of the box and without any privacy issues.

+ Read More of Asa’s Explanation of Phishing Protection in Firefox 2!

Torpark uses the Tor network of internet routers set up by the Electronic Frontier Foundation that already has tens of thousands of regular users.

Whenever any computer connects to the net it freely shares information about the address it is using. This is so any data it requests is sent back to the right place.

The Tor network tries to stop this information being shared in two ways. First, it encrypts traffic between a computer and the Tor network of routers – this makes it much harder to spy on the traffic and pinpoint who is doing what.

Related Reading:
+ Official Torpark Web Site
+ BBC News – Free anonymising browser debuts
+ Boing Boing – Torpark is out

Mozilla Corp. Thursday updated its Firefox browser to fix 7 flaws, including 4 pegged by the open-source developer as “Critical.” Of the four critical vulnerabilities patched in Firefox 1.5.0.7, none are currently being exploited, Mozilla said in detailed descriptions of each fixed flaw. In fact, Mozilla said in several of the descriptions that it was not sure whether the specific vulnerabilities could be exploited, but had issued patches just in case.

+ Read More About the Security Threat!