This morning I just discovered a new online vulnerability.  As if we did not have enough to worry about!

Thanks to Tech Support Alert, I uncovered the following information:

Apparently many internet-based systems can be easily fooled into enabling old, insecure encryption systems rather than using the newer ones that been employed lately.

SSL is one such encryption system that encrypts your credit card information or bank details when you log onto a financial web site. The FREAK flaw means that a hacker who intercepted the transmission could crack the password in a relatively short amount of time.

This affects many of  the major web browsers out there, on Windows, iPad, iPod and Android.  How to protect yourself?  Make sure that you keep an eye out for any security fixes issued by software vendors and that you install them as soon as possible.  You should also enable Windows Update if you have not yet done so.

As I tweeted this morning, Apple and Google have already released updates which address these issues.  More information can be found here and here.

Meanwhile, you can check if your browser is vulnerable by going to https://freakattack.com which will give you an instant indication.

If it says your browser is not safe, you should consider using another browser that is safe.  In my case, I tested Firefox and it passed.  In the article linked to above, Internet Explorer was not considered safe but Chrome passed.