Technology plays a major role in every business. So when something new comes along that threatens that technology and thus threatens your business, you need answers. And fast!
This is the case with the Heartbleed bug. It is the name you hear every time you turn on the news. And you have a few questions. What is it, how does it affect me, and how can I protect myself? Well, that is why you have us! At Working Nets, we provide top-notch information technology services to companies who don’t require an IT department, but do need reliable assistance when challenges arise.
What is the Heartbleed Bug?
Disclosed just a few days ago, the Heartbleed bug affects the technology used to encrypt sensitive information: OpenSSL.
“This compromises the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the names and passwords of the users and the actual content,” according to the Heartbleed.com. “This allows attackers to eavesdrop on communications, steal data directly from the services and users and to impersonate services and users.”
How does the Heartbleed Bug affect me?
According to Heartbleed.com, roughly two-thirds of all active websites run OpenSSL. Whoa! It could affect sites you log into on a daily basis — email, social networks, and so much more.
Click Here for a full list of the sites believed to be affected.
Larger companies are already addressing the issue, patching security holes. The issue is with smaller sites, warns Heartbleed.com. These sites typically do not have the full-time, in-house IT staff needed to address an issue as large as the Heartbleed bug.
How can I protect myself from the Heartbleed Bug?
Now this is the tricky part. All you can really do is sit and wait for these websites to patch the security holes. And if you are thinking about changing your passwords, don’t. If the bug hasn’t been fixed, changing your old password to a new password won’t do any good. It would just make your new password susceptible to the bug.
“The fact is if you change your password now, and the service hasn’t been patched, then there is a risk that an attacker can steal your current credentials and use them to compromise your account,” said AlienVault Labs Director Jaime Blasco.
What you can do, in the future, is make sure you do not use the same password for multiple sites and services. This ensures that if one site is compromised, all of your information isn’t at risk.
If you have any questions about the Heartbleed Bug and how it could affect your business, please contact Working Nets by calling (443) 992-7394 or visit WorkingNets.com today!
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Source:
Heartbleed bug: Check which sites have been patched
