Holiday season means one thing: cleaning up unnecessary cruft, unused, and legacy installed broswer extensions before the end of the calendar year.
I was looking closely for a compromise between security and privacy protection - and speed of operation, low CPU usage.
My critera for maintaining the key levels of Chrome browser protection can be summarized into three categories: ad blockers, anti-tracking extensions, and site-securing extensions.
I ran a number of searches to deep dive into the subject. The following extensions are the ones I would conside to be the "big three" that answer the three categories.
Privacy Badger
Privacy Badger automatically learns to block invisible trackers.
Privacy Badger
HTTPS Everywhere
HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.
HTTPS Everywhere
uBlock Origin
The fastest, most-powerful ad blocker. Block ads, pop ups, and trackers. Speed up your browsing.
uBlock Origin
Honorable mentions include the following Chrome extentions:
Cookie AutoDelete
Control your cookies: auto-delete unused cookies from your closed tabs while keeping the ones you want.
Cookie AutoDelete
PixelBlock
PixelBlock is a Gmail extension that blocks people from tracking when you open/read their emails.
PixelBlock
Privacy Possum
Privacy Possum monkey wrenches common commercial tracking methods by reducing and falsifying the data gathered by tracking companies.
Privacy Possum
Decentraleyes
Protects you against tracking through "free", centralized, content delivery. It prevents a lot of requests from reaching networks like Google Hosted Libraries, and serves local files to keep sites from breaking. Complements regular content blockers.
Decentraleyes
Finally, one productivity app that's worth using:
Block Site - Website Blocker for Chrome
Stay focused and improve productivity. Easily block any distracting or harmful website. Stop procrastination once and for all.
Block Site - Website Blocker for Chrome
Further reading
Knowledge, encryption and privacy tools
Firefox Privacy Add-ons
Privacy discussions