Reporting Elections, Safety and Security of Journalists 2. Be cautious when installing plug-ins Plug-ins and extensions can sometimes put you at risk. For instance, earlier this year, it was discovered that some Chrome extensions can change service or ownership without notification to users. As a result, Chrome’s regulations for extensions are changing this June to keep extensions from becoming anything other than “simple and single-purpose in nature,” according to Google. 3. Install security plug-ins The majority of plug-ins and extensions are safe, and some can help bolster your browser’s security. Here are three suggested—and free—browser extensions for added security. • • HTTPS Everywhere. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and The Tor Project jointly developed this Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension. HTTPS is a communications protocol for securing communications over a computer network, vs. the standard HTTP protocol, which is more widely used but less secure. (The ‘S’ in HTTPS stands for ‘secure.’) HTTPS Everywhere encrypts communication with many major websites to help secure your browsing experience. Web of Trust (also known as WOT). This extension for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera helps you determine if a website is safe to surf. The extension displays traffic signal icons next to URLs and links. Green means the site is reliable; yellow indicates you should proceed with caution; red translates to “steer clear.” The ratings are 21