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You’ve probably heard about the recent online bug called Heartbleed that is seriously threatening our personal data over the internet. A Finnish company called Codenomicon identified this problem last week and it’s said to be a flaw in the OpenSSL cryptographic software. This software is supposed to protect our online personal data like email passwords, financial information, etc. The Heartbleed virus is apparently a threat to the internet moving speed. The authorities have been searching for the culprits and they seem to have arrested the Heartbleed hacker, a 19-year-old Canadian named Stephen Arthuro Solis-Reyes from London, Ontario. He has been accused of hacking into the Canadian Revenue Agency’s website. The Heartbleed hacker supposedly stole 900 social security numbers.
Authorities stated that, “It is believed that [Mr] Solis-Reyes was able to extract private information held by CRA by exploiting the vulnerability known as the Heartbleed bug.”
The Canadian Revenue Agency has been investigating the problem for four days before charging Solis-Reyes with “mischief in relation to data” and “unauthorized use of a computer.”The Heartbleed hacker is expected to appear in court on July 17 2014.
Experts in online security warn that similar attacks might happen soon and companies are working to establish whether their systems are vulnerable to the Heartbleed virus.
Online security experts believe that almost 500,000 websites have been affected by the Heartbleed bug, making them vulnerable to hackers who can steal personal data from web servers. Popular sites like Facebook, Google DropBox and OkCupid have updated their security systems called OpenSSL. Although some of these companies assure their user that there are not any further risks, Google has announced last week that thousands of Android mobile devices were vulnerable to the Heartbleed virus.
The Heartbleed hacker – he’s not the only one
The Heartbleed hacker is just the first out of many to come, experts say. They also advice us to change the passwords to our most important websites in order to avoid any future inconvenience.
Technology has evolved so much in the last twenty years. But there is a dark side to evolution, as we all know. Hackers everywhere are developing new and sophisticated ways to break into our data and steal personal financial information. The best way to protect ourselves is to have installed a good antivirus program and be careful what websites we visit and to whom we release our private info.
What are your thoughts on the Heartbleed hacker? Do you think there are many others out there? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
