The tech news this week has been dominated by the so-called Heartbleed security issue that could have serious consequences for many Internet users, exposing their data and passwords. In a nutshell, many companies use OpenSSL, an open-source technology, as the basis for the security of their websites. It turns out that a programmer made a simple error several years ago that left the code vulnerable to exploitation.
If, for example, you have a Yahoo account, you should change your password immediately. Yahoo uses OpenSSL and has now fixed the code. But it's possible that your password was accessed before they made the fix. Note, however, that you shouldn't simply go to every web service you patronize and change the password, because they need to make the fix first. Otherwise, the bad guys can simply swipe your new password. Websites such as Heartbleed test let you know if specific websites are still vulnerable or have been fixed or unaffected. According to the website Re/code, Apple said Thursday that they don't use OpenSSL and that Apple's devices and web services are unaffected.