Article explaining in simple terms how to deal with Internet security threats for professionals

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Understanding Internet security threats and what they mean to you (/TechLexinternetsecurity/)
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May/June 2014
Vol. 56, No. 3
TECHLEX
UNDERSTANDING INTERNET SECURITY THREATS AND WHAT THEY
MEAN TO YOU
By Barb ara Beauchamp
The Internet is a scary place. If you are not being bombarded with tawdry offers, you are likely dodging attempts to compromise
your security, your identity and your credit card numbers.
The Internet also is an amazing resource. Longtime users will remember when we used a tool called a gopher to ferret out
information as we attempted to be thorough in our research. Newer users have the benefit of finely tuned search engines that use
natural language to hunt down and return all that the Internet has to offer on any given topic.
As wonderful and useful as the Internet is, it also has its dark moments. The recent Heartbleed threat is a perfect example of the
kind of troubling, confusing and intimidating type of information we are forced to deal with.
Bleed ing heart
In simple terms, the Heartbleed threat means that certain types of secure pages on the Internet, where millions of users conduct
financial transactions, enter passwords and so on, may have been compromised. These secure pages are indicated in the browser
address bar (URL) with the prefix, https. The “s” on the end is the key here – it stands for secure. What Heartbleed taught us is that
secure is a term that means different things to different organizations.
In order to have pages that use the https designation, an organization has to apply for, and receive, a secure certificate or an SSL
(secure sockets layer). About two-thirds of all Internet sites use OpenSSL – a piece of software that is readily available to all. That
type of software is called open source and is often free or available at a very low cost.
Help (/howdoi/)
L O GO UT
by Recommind. User: NYSBA3
Edw ard Eckaus

2. The State Bar’s website and other online assets were not affected by the Heartbleed crisis because the State Bar’s secure
certificates do not use the Open SSL Protocol. If members still want to change their Association usernames and passwords, they
may do that on the MyNYSBA page or by calling the State Bar Service Center at 800-582-2452.
Heartbleed happened because one of the programmers using the open source Open SSL made a fairly simple mistake in the code –
and everyone else using that code missed it and kept using and sharing it across the Internet.
And no one noticed. Google didn’t notice. Yahoo didn’t notice. Facebook didn’t notice. Even the National Security Agency (NSA)
didn’t notice.
This one tiny line of faulty code has caused fear and anguish in every corner of the world. I received piles of email from vendors and
potential vendors reassuring me that my accounts, passwords, etc. have not been compromised.
When it comes to Internet safety, the belt-and-suspenders approach is best. If you have any concerns at all, change your
passwords. You should change them regularly anyway. We all know that is an aspirational goal and may not always occur in a timely
manner. Use this as an opportunity to update your passwords and online accounts.
Are you interested in staying on top of new information about how technology affects you? Is it difficult to parse the tidal wave of
news coming at you from many sources? If you are a member, we invite you to the NYSBA Technology Community. It is a place to
get technology news and information, ask questions, contribute to technology discussions and get help with technology issues. All
members are welcome to join the Technology Community at www.nysba.org/techcommunity
(http://www.nysba.org/techcommunity).
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