Have you changed your passwords since the last great internet security lapse a.k.a. Heartbleed ? If you didn’t, you should probably start changing your passwords.
In the past two weeks eBay, WordPress and Spotify have reported that they have been hacked or there are vulnerabilities on their site.
eBay- Last Wednesday, eBay’s database containing encrypted passwords had been breached. Hackers were able to gain access to encoded passwords. Even though, financial data thats stored separately was safe, users should still change their passwords.
Spotify- On Tuesday, Spotify posted a message stating that there has been unauthorized access to its internal servers. Only one user has been reported to have their user data breached. However, it is advisable to change your passwords.
WordPress.com- Yan Zhu, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation exposed a vulnerability in WordPress.com that puts all users at risk. Each time a user tries to login, their user information can be exposed to anyone who want to find it via plain text cookies. Users should avoid logging into their WordPress.com site through public wifi and unsecured networks as they are at risk for losing their user information.
Why does every one keep telling you to change your passwords? What are the consequences of leaving your computers vulnerable? Learn about Blackshades.
Blackshades is an international group of computer hackers who use their Remote Access Tool (RAT) to activate webcams, access social media accounts and banking credentials and steal passwords.
The tool was sold for $40 and has launched an FBI investigation. More than 90 people in 19 countries have been arrested on suspicion of using or distributing the malware.
Recently, the software was used to activate Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf’s webcam to capture nude photos of her.
How you can protect yourself: Update your anti-virus software, create strong passwords, install a firewall and don’t open questionable emails or links even if they come from people on your contact list.
See if your favorite site is still affected by the Heartbleed bug here.
Learn about the Heartbleed bug here.
