NoScript

It's been a while since we looked at the essential apps that integrate into the Firefox browser client. So long, in fact, that a new version of the browser has been released which broke some of the older and no longer actively supported add-ons. The extension reviewed here is one of the ones that we simply couldn't live without.

NoScript is something of a must-have in your security arsenal, a pre-emptive strike against those who would do your data harm. The harsh truth is that more and more sites rely on JavaScript to deliver that Web 2.0 experience, and more miscreants exploit this to deliver exploits via security vulnerabilities. Faced with an all-or-nothing option for JavaScript, Java and other executable content, many choose usability over security. NoScript swings the odds back in your favour by letting you decide which sites you trust enough to run their scripts in your browser, blocking malicious scripts from untrusted sources before they get a chance to do any damage. It takes a little while to configure your trusted sites, but the welcome end result is a far more reassuring web experience - something that makes it one of our very favourites.

Author: Davey Winder