Categories: Security

3 steps to secure yourself against the Heartbleed Bug

On April 7th, the internet was hit with a bombshell. It’s name, the Heartbleed Bug. This bug causes a vulnerability in OpenSSL, which is used by roughly two-thirds of the internet to encrypt & secure data transmission. Rather than go into all the technical details of what the bug is and how it works, (You can visit Heartbleed.com, or this CNET article about the bug.) we want to help you ensure you’re secure. Follow the next 3 steps to check if you were affected and learn what to do!

1) Make a list of all the websites you have a log in for

Yes, every site you have a log in for. Don’t forget your bank, credit cards, investment websites, social media networks, personal blogs, business sites, etc… Remember this bug affected 2/3 of the internet so don’t go chancing it!

2) Use the Lastpass Heartbleed Checker

Using your list of websites visit the Lastpass Heartbleed Checker. One-at-a-time, insert the websites from your list into the form and submit.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to do it one at a time.

3) Follow the instructions on the results page

Heartbleed Checker Results

Lastpass will ping the website you entered into the form and try to determine if it uses OpenSSL & whether or not it was vulnerable when the bug was announced. The results should look similar to the image above. Along with messaging about the website’s security, Lastpass will also give you instructions on what to do in the “Assessment” section.

The safer course of action is to change all your passwords on all your websites. If you’re having problems remembering all your new passwords or even generating secure ones Lastpass can help. Don’t wait too long to follow up on this bug.

What websites did you find were vulnerable?

Luke Reynolds

Luke Reynolds is a new member of Newmind's IT managed services team. Previously he worked with schools, not-for-profits, and businesses to help them acquire and deploy Google Chromebooks on the enterprise level. Luke Reynolds enjoys writing, music, film, and any form of radical human expression. He's also a rabid proponent of Kalamazoo's local roller derby team, the Killamazoo Derby Darlins.