Heartbleed is a bug in OpenSSL, a set of software tools used widely across the Web for security. This bug may reveal sensitive information such as user names, passwords, and other private information to cyber-criminals.
Here are steps you can take to stay safe online:
1. Watch for notices from companies to change your passwords. Doing so before the sites are updated won’t fully protect you.
2. Beware of phishing emails— type website addresses directly in your browser instead of linking through an email.
3. Stick to reputable websites and services.
4. Monitor your bank and credit card accounts for unusual activity.
5. Use the free Norton Safe Web Heartbleed Check to see whether a destination website has the Heartbleed vulnerability before visiting.
You can learn more about the Heartbleed bug by going to http://heartbleed.com/.