eBay tells users to change passwords after database attack

Leading online retailer eBay has urged its users to change their passwords after its systems were attacked by hackers.

The company has revealed that the attack actually took place in February and early March and involved the theft of encrypted passwords, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth.

It has added, however, that it has not yet seen evidence of any unauthorised activity as a result. PayPal information was not stored on the affected server.

Cyberattackers compromised a small number of employee log-in credentials, allowing unauthorized access to eBay’s corporate network,” eBay said.

Working with law enforcement and leading security experts, the company is aggressively investigating the matter and applying the best forensics tools and practices to protect customers.

The database did not contain financial information or other confidential personal information. The compromised employee log-in credentials were first detected about two weeks ago. Extensive forensics subsequently identified the compromised eBay database.”