Dive Brief:
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A major bug found in the OpenSSL encryption technology used in an estimated two-thirds of websites has left networks vulnerable to eavesdropping and data theft. The bug is called "Heartbleed" and is the result of a small coding error that has been present for more than two years.
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The problem is made more complicated because both network administrators and consumers must take steps to protect themselves against the newly found bug.
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A Google technician and a Finnish cyber-security firm independently found the problem.
Dive Insight:
If you thought point-of-sales security breaches were bad enough, now comes word that online security has been compromised for some two years. The fallout from the Target breach has proven that consumers are easily and rightly spooked once they realize their information has leaked. With techies already warning consumers to avoid the internet until all is clear and criticizing sites for not being on top of things, retailers must take immediate action to investigate whether their networks have been compromised and alert customers promptly.
