Published by Clay on 04-10-2014 at 06:11 PM
The Heartbleed bug is making headlines this week. Heartbleed is the name of a hole in the SSL security that protects your information when visiting secure websites. It was named Heartbleed because it mimics a heartbeat, which is a term for making sure both ends of an internet connection are secure.
Since this bug mimics a verified heartbeat when accessing secure websites, the site thinks it's really you on the other end. This is an obvious security flaw because hackers who have used this vulnerability are able to steal your passwords to secure websites.
Here are some tips and things you need to know about how this affects you:
Heartbleed affects websites, email servers, social networking sites, and chat accounts, however not all servers are affected. For example, most Windows OS servers are immune to this bug because they use other means of SSL encryption.
For a list of some of the servers affected, visit this guide. Note that this is not a complete list. You can also use This Tool to look up websites that you frequent to see if they were vulnerable.
What should you do now?
Well, nothing. Server management teams are still patching the affected systems, and vulnerable systems are expected to send alerts to account holders detailing that they have patched their systems and will encourage you to change your passwords. If you change your passwords before the affected systems are secured, hackers could still grab your new passwords. VisuTech Solutions recommends changing passwords regularly.
If you have any questions about Heartbleed, please let us know via the Contact Us page.