The Bluebox Heartbleed scanner |
With the advent of Heartbleed, Bluebox released the Bluebox Heartbleed Scanner, a tool that can help smartphone users see if they are vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug. Despite the fact that around two-thirds of the Web is vulnerable, nobody knows the full extent of the problems it has caused yet. The sooner you learn more about Bluebox the better you can protect yourself against the threat that it poses. The whole Internet community was thrown into chaos as soon as word about Heartbleed leaked out. Major companies were quick to respond and released updates to counter Heartbleed. It is a threat that you need to be aware of. How Heartbleed worksHeartbleed is a weakness in the OpenSSL software which allows any attacker to steal information directly from the memory space of an application. This information includes private keys which keep data securely coded as it travels in the Internet. This problem may seem insignificant to some but it’s important to note that the kind of information that can be stolen may include login data and online financially related accounts like PayPal and other money transferring sites. The extent of damage caused by HeartbleedGiven the popularity of OpenSSL, the extent of damage expected is high. In fact, it did not come as a surprise that this threat even reached mobile devices through installed mobile apps. This is because mobile apps have built-in encryption to allow users to log-in safely. Smartphones and the Heartbleed threatApple has claimed that its iOS is safe and Heartbleed cannot cause any problem to iOS devices. The same cannot be said though for all Android devices. Google has admitted that almost all versions of Android from 4.1 up contain vulnerable versions of OpenSSL. These devices are relatively safe though since all but Android 4.1.1 had the heartbeat feature turned on by default. However, the possibility of some OEMs switching the heartbeat feature back on in their phones is not remote, making the threat still very much real for all. Bluebox and the Bluebox Heartbleed ScannerIn response to this threat, security software company Bluebox has developed an app that can scan your phone, available on the Google Play Store. When the Android major master key vulnerability was discovered in the past it was also Bluebox that stepped in and released a similar tool to address the issue. This latest scanner allows smartphone users to check their devices to see whether they are safe or not. The Bluebox Heartbleed Scanner looks for apps installed within a device that carry their own OpenSSL versions. In turn, it checks the versions of the library to see if heartbeat is enabled. The user’s part in addressing the problemIt is important to remember that once the scanner has detected apps that show vulnerability, the user need to do two things. Firstly, you need to report this in the apps review section of Google Play Store. This warns other users of an app’s vulnerability. Secondly, you need to send an email to the developers. This notifies them and allows them to address this problem in their next update releases. If you have any questions regarding the security of your devices, contact us today to see how we can help. |
Upgrading from XP - your choices |
Microsoft has seen many important milestones, and back in April the tech giant celebrated yet another with the cessation of support of possibly the most popular operating system ever – Windows XP. If your business is still using systems with XP installed, it might be a good idea to upgrade. A common problem to face then though is selecting which new system you should upgrade too. |
3 business backup options |
Data is an integral part of any business, and it is a good idea to ensure that it is always available to your business too. This means you also need to back it up in case disaster jeopardizes or wipes out your original data. Looking into backup solutions, you will quickly come to see that there are a number of options you can employ. The challenge then is deciding on which one. |
Hardware for a successful business |
Behind every successful business lies strong back-end support. Having the right people in your business is vital, and being equipped with high quality hardware sets the stage for smooth operations. If you’re not sure which hardware is essential for your business, not to worry, we’ll take a look at five essential pieces of hardware that could improve your business productivity without compromising ease of use. |
Successful content marketing |
Marketing is an integral part of business operations and there are some useful strategies that can be employed, with one of the most effective being content marketing. This is creating your own branded content and sharing it on various platforms. When carried out successfully, businesses can see increased brand recognition and many more benefits. The question is how exactly a business can be successful with content marketing. |