Most experts agree that "Heartbleed" - the latest internet security explosion - may have already quietly affected many to most of us with an active online presence, to some degree or another.
This flaw stems from OpenSSL, the open-source encryption standard used by the majority of websites which transmit data that users want to keep secure, and not from one particular online vendor or provider.
Because of this, your consideration should be focused on everyday online sites you visit – your online banking sites, cloud email service (GMail, Yahoo, Hotmail), music/movie/apps sources (such as Netflix and Apple), social media (Facebook, Twitter and others). Also, consider sites you may not frequent as often, but still may have setup login credentials for, such as ebay, financial sites you might use, even the recent healthcare.gov if you’ve setup an account. Certainly not least, don't forget any once-a-year tax sites you may have utilized recently to exchange sensitive information!
An extensive list of popular sites, if they have or have not been affected, and their responses to the issue is here:
http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/heartbleed-bug-websites-affected/
A handy tool for even quicker checking (just type in any website to get an instant response on whether or not it is affected) can be found here:
https://lastpass.com/heartbleed/
The Fulcrum Group has determined that the following services we employ- including SonicWall firewalls, Digium Switchvox and SPOT Hosted Exchange powered by Intermedia - have NOT been affected by this flaw.
More on the Heartbleed bug can be found here: http://www.businessinsider.com/heartbleed-bug-explainer-2014-4#ixzz2yUjaFAOl
If you would like to know more about how this security issue might affect you or your business, give us a call at 817-337-0300 today!