Why You Should Still be Cautious on the Internet

I feel it's safe to say a majority of the human population spends a large amount of time on the Internet. I think it's even safer to say that more and more people are spending large amounts of money on the Internet due to the convenience of shopping online. As a result we have learned to feel pretty safe on the internet when perhaps we shouldn't have. 

Although the internet has many security measures set in place there has been a bug sitting in one of the most important measures for years. Essentially this bug gives attackers the "keys to the kingdom" and is called the "Heartbleed Bug." Secure transactions on the internet rely on a pair of technologies called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TSL). Basically they keep your private information between you and whatever site you are using. However there has been a breach in the software called OpenSSL which allows people to get TSL/SSL easily. The breach is a minor coding error that allows attackers to use OpenSSL to see private data that should be secured by TSL/SSL. 

Every now and then we see bugs and internet fraud, however, this error has been out there for a long time. So what does this mean for a majority of the population that uses the internet frequently? Assume your credentials are out there for the taking and make sure to change all your passwords. Also, if you aren't already make sure you're frequently check your credit card statements. This Heartbleed bug is the reason why we should continue to be cautious on the internet. Even if you're not using the internet for shopping other things such as personal profile information may have been exposed. I'll admit this Heartbleed bug has made me feel vulnerable on the internet and I'm left wondering if I should stop shopping online for a while. 

Photo Credit: nydailynews.com

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