News of the Heartbleed vulnerability spread like wildfire but in case you haven’t caught up, here’s everything you need to know about Heartbleed. What started off as an overlooked programming bug has left a majority of the internet’s websites vulnerable. Heartbleed allows attackers to retrieve private security keys, which are responsible for keeping user data encrypted.
Many websites and services have already patched the Heartbleed bug but attackers could have already sniffed out user names and passwords. Once a website is fixed, you will need to change your password to make sure no one has unauthorized access to your accounts.
Everything you need to know about Heartbleed and how to protect yourself can be found below.
“Heartbleed” security bug leaves majority of the web vulnerable
A major security flaw called Heartbleed was discovered today by security researchers. OpenSSL, the open-source encryption software library, has a massive bug that affects a majority of the web. The bug allows hackers to uncover personal information without being detected.
It’s a complex security issue but I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible. Heartbleed is going to be an ongoing issue and you should take precautions to protect yourself.
Are the dangers of the Heartbleed vulnerability exaggerated?
News of the Heartbleed security vulnerability have spread like wildfire. According to Netcraft, an internet service company, 66% of the web is vulnerable because of Heartbleed. But are these figures overblown?
Report: NSA has been exploiting Heartbleed bug for years
Bloomberg released a report today accusing the United States National Security Agency of exploiting the Heartbleed bug for years. If true, the NSA’s bulk data collection program could have been enabled by the Heartbleed bug.
The Softonic Minute: Heartbleed, Twitter, Facebook and Windows XP
Heartbleed leaves a majority of the internet vulnerable, Twitter gets a redesign, Facebook forces users to switch to Messenger, and Windows XP gets its final update. Check out this week’s biggest software news in The Softonic Minute.
Heartbleed: five steps to protect your accounts
For years, your data could have been compromised without your knowledge. The cause? The Heartbleed bug, an internet bug which exposed user information on roughly 66% of the web. But before you panic, you can follow five simple steps to protect yourself.
Why it’s time to start using a password manager
The Heartbleed security bug has left two-thirds of the internet vulnerable. The bug allows attackers to steal user names and passwords. Even popular sites like Google and Yahoo! were affected, though they’ve since patched the vulnerability.
While you can’t stop hackers from attacking websites, you can take steps to protect your information. The first line of defense is to create secure and unique passwords for every site and service you use. The problem is, how are you supposed to remember all of these passwords? The answer is with password managers.
Use Heartbleed Detector to check if your Android is vulnerable
News of the Heartbleed OpenSSL vulnerability has caused a widespread security fever. A lot of major websites were affected by the bug and many took quick steps to fix the problem. One of the main issues with Heartbleed is that changing your password won’t protect you until the website patches the bug.
Apple claims it was not affected by Heartbleed security bug
Apple claims its desktop, mobile, and web services are safe against the Heartbleed security bug. The bug, which was discovered Tuesday, left over 66% of the web vulnerable to hackers.
In a statement provided to Re/code, Apple claims its sites and products are safe against Heartbleed. “Apple takes security very seriously. IOS [sic] and OS X never incorporated the vulnerable software and key Web-based services were not affected,” said an Apple spokesperson.
Soundcloud signs out users in wake of Heartbleed bug
Soundcloud has taken swift action after yesterday’s news about Heartbleed, the cryptography bug that has left a majority of the web vulnerable. The music streaming site is signing users out to apply an update to its servers.
