How to Combat the Heartbleed Bug for Android Users

Heartbleed bug is a security flaw that allows third parties to gain access to information and data that Internet users enter into encrypted sites on OpenSSL, which is one of the most popular sets of encryption tools. The Heartbleed bug allows anyone on the Internet to read the memory of the systems that are protected by vulnerable versions of the OpenSSL software. This endangers the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the names and passwords of users, including the actual content. This enables hackers to eavesdrop on communications, steal data directly from the services and users, as well as to impersonate them.

According to reports, the Heartbleed bug has affected about thirty-four percent of Android devices. Although Google was able to fix most of its products that were affected such as Gmail and other versions of the Android operating system, a patch has yet to be released for the widely-used operating system, Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.

So how would you know if your device is infected with the Heartbleed bug?

There are some ways you can do to verify your device's security, which includes checking its operating system or using an app that will determine if your device is susceptible to the Heartbleed bug. If you want to check your device's software version, go to the Settings menu, then tap the About device option. Look for Android version to find out what software version your device is currently having. For newer devices that comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, like the image shown below, you can be assured that it is safe from the Heartbleed bug infection.

Now, what if your device is having a different version, let's say it is the Jelly Bean version? Another way to check your device yourself is by downloading the Lookout Mobile Security's Heartbleed Detector app found on the Google Play Store. The app will help you determine if your device runs on the version of OpenSSL infected with the Heartbleed bug. It also tells you whether Heartbleed is enabled or not on your operating system, which will then inform you whether you need to take additional security actions or not.

If in case your device actually runs on the Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean operating system, the first immediate step that you need to do is to update it. To update the software version of your device, go to the Settings menu, then go to System Update. From there, your device will try to search for any available updates and will prompt you to proceed in downloading and installing it to your device.

Another way you can protect yourself from the Heartbleed infection is to make sure to change your passwords for those websites that have released patches for the OpenSSL flaw. Check out the list of websites and services that were affected by the bug here.