This video tutorial explains what the Heartbleed Bug is and how you can protect your online security from it.
The Heartbleed Bug is a flaw in the OpenSSL module, which is responsible with the encryption of sensitive data on numerous websites. Therefore, information such as usernames, passwords, or bank account details transmitted through webservices using OpenSSL become vulnerable because of this bug.
To better understand the root of the problem, let us refer to SSL encryption. It is a process used by web browsers, e-mail services or instant messaging to protect the users’ personal details sent across the Internet. Without this codification phase or when it has been affected, such data can be illegitimately extracted by hackers.
It is important to know that not all online services resort to SSL, for instance clients using Microsoft Windows services being unaffected by this issue. Nevertheless, most of the service providers do face this threat as they use SSL encryption to safely transmit data from your PC to the server. You can recognize that a website uses encryption by the ‘https’ prefix from their URLs in the address bar.
Therefore, information which would normally have been protected through SSL encryption becomes a target for hackers if the Heartbleed bug affects the sites using the respective data. Seeing that OpenSSL is employed to protect most of the Internet services and networks, anything from web service to e-mail service and virtual private servers may be affected. Once this happens, a ‘patch’ is used to restore the server and to make your information secure once again.
Users that have a self-managed server are exposed to the Heartbleed Bug as well. To test if your site is vulnerable or not, use http://filippo.io/Heartbleed. If that is the case, you will need to patch and reboot your server and also to revoke and reissue your SSL certificate. To do so, please follow the steps in the article ‘What is the Heartbleed bug and how will it affect my services?’ from 123-reg’s support page:
http://www.123-reg.co.uk/support/answers/Plesk/Administration/what-is-the-heartbleed-bug-and-how-will-it-affect-my-services-4689/
Although you may be directly or indirectly affected by the Heartbleed bug, you are recommended to change your account passwords for your e-mail, social networking sites and any sites which use your personal data.
For more assistance with regards to this, please visit www.123-reg.co.uk/support.
Duration: 3:7
Publisher: 123 Reg
You can watch this video also at the source.
