While many dedicate their careers to spreading the word about cyber security, this week’s news about the Heartbleed vulnerability has put cyber security in the spotlight, giving the world a new found perspective on just how susceptible the Internet can be.

Farhad Manjoo of The New York Times said “the bug known as Heartbleed… is a stark reminder that the Internet is still in its youth, and vulnerable to all sorts of unseen dangers, including simple human error.” He compares the technology industry with other industries that saw rapid growth, but remarks that the tech industry is ultimately unique and will require additional efforts beyond regulation and industry-wide cooperation. Computer security expert at Princeton University Edward Felten believes that “Heartbleed is further evidence that we don’t have our house in order when it comes to Internet security.”

Help Net Security further discussed the global threat by sharing an interactive map released by the Kaspersky Lab. The interactive cyberthreat map visualizes cyber security incidents occurring worldwide in real time. Help Net Security showed how the map detects and monitors a variety of malicious objects across the web, and comments, “In today’s world of cyberthreats, it only takes a few minutes to spread new malicious applications or spam.”

CNET’s Leslie Katz explained how the interactive map works:

“You spin the 3D globe using a mouse and zoom in or out with a scroll wheel. Click on a country, and you’ll see the number and type of threats detected there since 12 a.m. GMT and the position that nation holds on the world’s “most-infected” list… Different types of threats tracked by the Kaspersky Antivirus and Internet Security Multi Device software shoot around the map like colored lasers. Viruses found in email appear as orange, for example, and yellow represents malicious executable files.”

Does this interactive map help consumers visualize how fast threats move across the globe? How can businesses use this interactive map for security purposes? Tell us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Tumblr for the latest industry news stories.