code: protected String getCurrentReleaseVersion() {
          HttpURLConnection conn = null;
          try {
              final String str = settings.getString(Settings.KEYS.ENGINE_VERSION_CHECK_URL, "http://jeremylong.github.io/DependencyCheck/current.txt");
              final URL url = new URL(str);
              final URLConnectionFactory factory = new URLConnectionFactory(settings);
              conn = factory.createHttpURLConnection(url);
              conn.connect();
              if (conn.getResponseCode() != 200) {
                  return null;
              }
              final String releaseVersion = IOUtils.toString(conn.getInputStream(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
              if (releaseVersion != null) {
                  return releaseVersion.trim();
              }
          } catch (MalformedURLException ex) {
              LOGGER.debug("Unable to retrieve current release version of dependency-check - malformed url?");
          } catch (URLConnectionFailureException ex) {
              LOGGER.debug("Unable to retrieve current release version of dependency-check - connection failed");
          } catch (IOException ex) {
              LOGGER.debug("Unable to retrieve current release version of dependency-check - i/o exception");
          } finally {
              if (conn != null) {
                  conn.disconnect();
              }
          }
          return null;
      }
docs: Retrieves the current released version number from the github
  documentation site.
  
  @return the current released version number