News

The Heartbleed Bug is an encryption flaw affecting the Internet and is a security threat to your passwords and other information. The bug has affected many popular websites and services and could have exposed your sensitive account information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. To protect yourself it is a good policy to change your passwords as a precautionary measure. 

“Consumers are protected from unauthorized transactions by their banks despite the far-reaching effects of the Heartbleed Bug. Banks use many different systems to protect customers’ information including rigorous security standards, encryption, and fraud detection software". Rose Oswald Poels, president/CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

Financial institutions in Wisconsin are examining their systems with a fine-toothed comb and are applying security patches and updating encryption keys where needed. In many cases, internet banking applications are not impacted by this bug. Most financial institutions have a layer of security that prevents this type of exploitation while others don’t even use OpenSSl so this vulnerability isn’t an issue for them.

We do encourage consumers to be vigilant and review their accounts. Any unusual activity should be reported to their bank as soon as possible.

Consumers need to also be aware of phishing scams that may try take advantage of the typical security concerns that could arise with news of the Heartbleed Bug. Do not respond to emails with links claiming that your account is in jeopardy. If you do have concerns with any service provider due to the Heartbleed Bug, WBA encourages you to contact those businesses directly to avoid becoming a victim of a scam.”

View a list of possible affected sites here:

List of sites affected.