Why You Should Use an AdBlocker and Which Is Best For Chrome
Why You Should Use An Ad Blocker
Your Internet Experience is Much Safer
With the popularity of advertisements on the internet growing daily, attackers are also now purchasing advertising space on some of the most popular websites worldwide. These ads can do incredible harm to both your computer and your data. One of the best ways to stop this from happening is to block such ads completely.
Some of the biggest names in the world have been exposed to malvertising, including the New York Times Online, Spotify, The London Stock Exchange, and the Atlantic.
“This time it seems that an experienced actor has acquired an expired domain of a small but probably legitimate advertising company in order to utilize this for malicious purposes. This provides them with high-quality traffic from popular web sites that publish their ads directly, or as affiliates of other ad networks, which our research has shown to lead to the Angler EK,” Trustwave reported.
Malvertising takes advantage of the methods in which normal online advertising works. Cybercriminals often submit infected text ads or infected graphics to legitimate networks, most of which cannot differentiate between trustworthy ads and harmful ones.
Most of these ads come with some sort of warning letting you know that your device has been infected with malware, enticing you to click on it. Once you do, that same device will be infected via the ad.
Another method is called the drive-by download. The infected ad makes use of an invisible web page to do all of its dirty work. You don’t even need to click on the ad in order to trigger the malicious activity. Instead, just loading the web page will mean you are redirected to another exploit page, taking advantage of any holes in your software security to access your device.
Some of the main malvertising campaigns include: get rich schemes and survey, tech support scams, fake flash player, and scareware.
By removing most online adverts, you will be able to reduce the possibility of malvertising attacks. It should be known that an ad blocker will not be able to block all ads as some companies pay a lot of money to adblocking services and developers to have their ads whitelisted.
Ad Blockers Stop Ad Servers From Tracking You
More often than not, ad servers will not only deliver ads to your browser, but they also keep tabs as to what you get up to online. Additionally, they gather as much personal information about you and your online habits which can later be sold to third party companies so that you receive targeted advertising.
Your Page Will Load Quicker
The great thing about an ad blocker is that when you click on a website, the analytics code is blocked by the best ad blocker so your browser doesn’t have to load all the graphics which come with advertisements. Instead, you will just have to wait for your article or video to load, depending on what you’re searching for.
It Saves You Money
Did you know that more than half of your mobile data is actually wasted on ads? While this does depend on the sites that you visit, when you take out ads from your online browsing there is a lot less data to download.
It Will Make Your Internet Browsing Experience Simpler
This is an obvious one. With more white space on the page and less colorful graphics popping up on the page, you will be able to have reader-friendly content which will make it easier on your eyes.
Now that you know all of the benefits that come with an ad blocker, check out our list and pick the best ad blocker suited to your needs.
What is the Best Ad Blocker for Chrome?
1. AdBlock
Boasting more than 60 million users around the world, AdBlock has been backed by Business Insider, The Guardian, C Net, the Wall Street Journal, and many more. It is compatible with all major browsers and comes in more than 30 different languages.
With more than 10 years in the game, AdBlock is one of the most popular choices of ad blockers available on the market at the moment. The extension for Chrome works instantly and automatically. This means it blocks ads on both static and video sites such as YouTube.
The great thing is that you can also set up a Whitelist of sites which enables them to show their ads, as many sites make their money this way, and so you can support your favorite sites by allowing their ads to be shown.
Sometimes, you can have the app remove some other web page aspects that you do not like which include social media links and protect yourself against possible malware.
It should be noted that AdBlock is a participant in the Acceptable Ads initiative which means there are some ads that are allowed through should you choose to accept them. You should also know that AdBlock has been known to be resource-heavy, affecting those people that have a lot of tabs open at one time the most.
Lastly, a great thing about AdBlock being the best ad blocker for Chrome is that it has regular updates so that the software can keep up with the newest internet ad delivery methods.
2. AdBlock Plus
The great news about AdBlock Plus is that it is completely free. There is also no special installation process. All you need to do is head over to the website and enable AdBlock Plus for your Chrome browser. There you will be able to see the number of ads that have been blocked on your current page plus the total number of ads blocked.
AdBlock Plus is available for Android mobile devices including iOS and Android devices, meaning that you can download it onto your smartphone and tablets to have your gadgets freed from those pesky ads.
Using open-source software means that the source code is open for updating by the developer. Any existing bugs are able to be sorted by the developer as soon as possible. Like AdBlock, AdBlock Plus has selective blocking. You can support your favorite sites by allowing their ads to come through.
In saying that, there are some ads that tend to be missed as ad companies are able to pay AdBlock Plus to include them in a white list. You can remove them, but you will need to manually opt-out of them, which can be time-consuming.
3. uBlock Origin
Another excellent choice for the best ad blocker for Chrome browsers is uBlock Origin. This service is free to use and does a fantastic job of blocking ads without being a burden on your operating system.
As soon as you download the ad blocker to Chrome, you will be able to access the on-page interface next to the website address. Within the programs dashboard, you are also able to set customized filters as well as use third party filters that have been created by other users.
Users have the ability to hide blocked elements or show the number of blocked requests on the icon. A highlight is that paid advertisements will not show up on uBlock Origin, unlike the previous two ad blockers mentioned.
If you have any trouble with this program you can head over to the uBlock Origin website and fill out an online form- These submitted forms are posted on the support page and are normally replied to by either fellow uBlock Origin users or the developer. There is also a developer’s support site which includes a guide, already addressed issues as well as a blog that you can check out.
If you have issues with the RAM space on your computer, uBlock Origin is the perfect ad blocker as it is lightweight to an already heavy Chrome browser. Additionally, you have customizable lists as well as filter lists that allow you to pick and choose what you wish to see and which ads you do not need popping up all the time.
Ad Blocker Scams
Believe it or not, there are ad blocker scams out there just waiting to be downloaded. Fake blockers such as these are created to collect your browsing data secretly and have also been known to change your browser’s behavior.
It can be easy to fall for these scams as the fake ad blockers often have very similar names to some of the biggest ad blockers in the world. Here are some you should never download:
- uBlock Plus
- Adblock Plus
- HD for YouTube
- Adblock Pro
- AdRemover for Google Chrome
- Webulation
- Superblock Adblocker
Examples of How Malware is Inserted into Online Ads
Malware injected post-click
When a person clicks on the ad, they are normally redirected through to numerous URLs, ending with the landing page of the ad. If the hacker has compromised any of the URLs along that path, they are able to execute a malicious code into your device.
Malware in ad creative
Malware can be found either in a text or a banner ad, with those ad networks that deliver ads in a Flash format being particularly vulnerable.
Malware in pixels
Pixels are used in an ad call or a landing page in order to send data for tracking. Whilst a legitimate pixel only sends data, one that has been compromised can send a response that may include malware to a person’s browser.
Malware within Flash videos
Some Flash files include a pre-roll banner which is a static image that the user is able to view whilst the video is loading. Hackers are able to inject malicious code into those banners allowing them to run without the user even clicking on the video
Malware on a landing page
Reputable websites have been known to contain clickable elements that execute malicious code. This malware is one of the most dangerous, as users that click on ads might land on real website pages which are infected with threatening on-page elements.
Many people have started using a VPN in order to maximize online safety and privacy, however, it should be noted that the best VPNs also come with an ad blocker.
Conclusion
Adware has become part of our online experience. It is designed to display advertisements on your device as well as redirect your search requests to various advertising websites. This way, a lot of your browsing data, which includes the websites you visit is collected in order to create targeted advertising.
There are some typical telltale signs that adware has entered your system which includes your web browser slowing down completely, web pages not displaying as they normally would, website links redirecting you to different sites as well as advertisements appearing where they shouldn’t.
One of the best ways to ensuring this doesn’t happen to you is by installing a reputable ad blocker for your Chrome browser. This will ensure that you have a safer online experience as well as being able to concentrate on the content you want to see.
When choosing an adblocker you should think about the cost, how effective the ad blocker is as well as how much it will weigh down your operating system.
Our top three choices include Ad Block, Ad Block, Plus and uBlock Origin. These ad blockers will allow you to whitelist the websites that you wish to support by allowing them to show their ads as well as to customize your online experience further.
It is important not to fall for the false ad blockers looming on the internet as these will do the opposite of what you’re striving for, collecting your data and selling it to the highest bidder.
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