On the 9th of April 2014, security researchers announced a security flaw in the popular data encryption standard, OpenSSL that gives hackers the ability to extract all data from services that companies use every day. OpenSSL is basically giving you protection when you’re sending an email or chatting on IM by making the data that is sent look like nonsense to everyone except the intended.
The Heartbleed bug effectively decrypts all information sent from server to client, and client to server making it visible for hackers to see what you are sending. A lot of popular chatting IM sites that businesses use such as Google (Gmail), Pinterest, Tumblr, Yahoo and more could have been used to exploit this bug as they use OpenSSL.
How to protect yourself and your business from the Heartbleed bug.
What Mulink Technologies recommends:
– Changing your password on Web-accessed software (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc)
– Do not user the same password on every website and routinely change it (30 days)
– Implement a password saving software such as Password Safe.
If you or your company is re-using the same password across multiple websites, you could still be vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug.
Any good IT Service provider will ensure that your company is safe against the Heartbleed bug, if that is not the case you may want to re-think your IT and Infrastructure needs and call Mulink Technologies on 1300 978 938.