This time EBay the internet giant announced that their database was compromised and lost all personal information from its client base. The breach was done though employees of the company and supposedly they have contacted law enforcement.

EBay said the compromised database contained customer names, encrypted passwords, e-mail addresses, birth dates, physical addresses and phone numbers. It said it would ask users to change their passwords.

One of the biggest problems with EBay and their association with PayPal is that EBay promotes PayPal which it uses for all financial transactions. Those who use both services may find that they will have bigger issues especially those who use the same password from multiple sites.

Many people still insist on using the same password for multiple sites. This is really a bad practice, just like storing passwords on any of the services that pretend to protect your information.  Get out a paper and pen and write them down if you must. Storing passwords on any sort of computer or phone app is a really easy way to get all of your passwords lost.

EBay of course to date has not sent messages to its customer base. There are no banners to alert you that your information has been lost, and they bury the place to change your password once you do sign in.

Here is a link to change your password on EBay

http://signin.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ChangePasswordAndCreateHint

All of your passwords should use UPPER and lower case, numbers and symbols.  You can still use words or things to help you remember.

Here are a couple password examples

1For363tTh1$1 (I forget this one)

3a(hn164tI\/\/alk (each night I walk)

Innocently while looking on EBay for the change password link. I put in their search box “change password” and found a list of hacking tools openly for sale. It should not surprise me that others sell openly available free programs. What does bother me is that EBays policies own greed in collecting transaction fees support the very same activity that they themselves fell victim to.

Perhaps it wasn’t Ebay that should care about the breach any it was their customers that were affected not the marketplace giant.