EnglishClub : Listen to News : Heartbleed Bug Threatens Internet Security
photo Tara Benwell Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.

dateline: 14 April 2014

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Heartbleed Bug Threatens Internet Security

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • scramble: to move or do something quickly without any planning
  • cybersecurity: the safety of one’s Internet privacy
  • flaw: a small error or problem
  • hacker: a computer specialist who tries to gain access to secret data
  • precautionary measure: an action that may prevent future problems

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Heartbleed Bug Threatens Internet Security

Internet users around the world are scrambling to change their passwords due to one of the most cybersecurity threats in history. The Heartbleed Bug is a coding flaw in an encryption technology (OpenSSL) used on of web servers. Large companies and businesses, including Google, Facebook, and many financial institutions, rely on this technology for communication security. Any hacker who discovered the flaw over the past two years may have been able to private data without leaving a trace. Many large companies were able to fix the flaw before the announcement . Users are encouraged to change their passwords as a precautionary measure. Many temporarily shut down their websites as a precaution as well.

  1. What is the Heartbleed Bug?
  2. What did some governments do in response to this threat?
  3. Why might people want to check their bank statements this month?

Discussion Question: Do you trust that your usernames and passwords are safe when you use the Internet, or are you concerned about cybersecurity?

show Answers

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Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
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