As a reaction to the news that technology companies are urging internet users to change passwords in the wake of the discovery of the Heartbleed bug, Philip Lieberman, President, Lieberman Software Corporation says: "This is really serious and a big blow to the credibility of open source. This is very bad, and the consequences are very scary now that it has been disclosed. The fact that this code is on home and commercial Internet-connected devices on a global scale means that the Internet is a different place today.

Network-connected devices often run a basic Web server to let an administrator access online control panels. In many cases, these servers are secured using OpenSSL and their software will need updating. However, this is unlikely to be a priority. The manufacturers of these devices will not release patches for the vast majority of their devices, and consumers will patch an insignificant number of devices.

Cable boxes and home Internet routers are just two of the major classes of devices likely to be affected. ISPs now have millions of these devices with this bug in them.”