eBay is telling users to change their passwords after a cyberattack, but the company says users' financial data is safe and secure
Updated 9:15 a.m. ET Wednesday
eBay is asking all of its 128 million users to change their passwords Wednesday after a cyberattack compromised users’ login information and other “non-financial data.”
The hackers involved in the attack were not able to access users’ credit card data or make purchases on users’ accounts, eBay said in a statement. Financial account information connected to PayPal, which eBay owns, is also safe, eBay said.
“There is no evidence that any financial information was accessed or compromised; however we are taking every precaution to protect our customers,” eBay spokesperson Kari Ramirez told TIME in an e-mail.
The eBay hackers “compromised a small number of employee log-in credentials” sometime between late February and early March, allowing them access to the company’s corporate network. It took eBay until two weeks ago to detect the attack.
eBay is also asking users to change their passwords on other websites if they used the same password across multiple sites including eBay.
It’s a good idea to change your passwords regularly regardless of the eBay attack. My colleague Doug Aamoth can show you how to set strong passwords that you can actually remember.