An “efail”could let hackers read your emails

Two technologies often used by email programs to protect data have been found to have major flaws.
The news: Ars Technica reports that security researchers in Germany yesterday uncovered a way to decrypt emails that rely on S/MIME and OpenPGP.
The hacks: These essentially work by intercepting an email, inserting code, and then sending it on to the unsuspecting recipient. When a victim opens the message, the code tricks the email program into sending a plaintext version back to the hacker.
The response: Some security executives say the risk exists only in email programs that don’t check for decryption errors, so it’s worth verifying whether yours does. You could also decrypt emails in applications that are separate from your email program.
Why this matters: It’s not just an issue for companies and governments; many journalists and activists rely on encrypted email to keep in touch with their sources.