Watch: What You Need to Know About the POODLE Bug

The POODLE bug may sound silly, but it can cause some serious damage.

POODLE, which stands for Padding Oracle on Downloaded Legacy Encryption, makes it possible for hackers to snoop on a user’s web browsing. The problem is an 18-year-old encryption standard, known as SSL v3, which is still used by older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.

SSL protects data exchanged between a website and user, indicated by a green pad lock icon. If you’re a home user, don’t panic — you’re not at high risk. But, just to be safe, one solution is to upgrade your web browser.