SSL v3.0 POODLE vulnerability and how to avoid it

A new SSL vulnerability is doing the rounds this morning, known as POODLE, or Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption. POODLE is a newly disclosed vulnerability in the legacy SSL 3.0 protocol that could be exposing users of newer Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption protocols to risk. If exploited, the POODLE flaw could potentially enable an attacker to access and read encrypted communications.