You need to change your eBay password thanks to a major security breach

eBay-sign

You need to change your eBay password. Now.

Later today the online auction giant will be emailing all customers to inform them that it has discovered a major security breach that took place several weeks ago. A database that included unencrypted passwords and personal information was compromised, but eBay promises your financial data is safe.

Later today, eBay Inc. will be asking all eBay users to change their passwords due to a cyber attack that compromised an eBay database containing encrypted eBay passwords and other non-financial information,” reads a statement on the PayPal blog.

“Extensive forensic research has shown no evidence of unauthorized access or compromise to personal or financial information for PayPal customers.”

What the hackers did gain access to during the attack, which took place sometime between late February and early March, is a database that contained your unencrypted eBay password and a bunch of personal information — including your full name, address, email, phone number, and date of birth.

eBay was first alerted to the breach two weeks ago when it was discovered that a bunch of employee login details which allowed access to internal databases had been obtained. The company insists, however, that there is no evidence of unauthorized access to financial data, which is stores separately on a secure network.

If you haven’t already rushed off to change your eBay password, do it now. eBay will also be advising those who have been using the same password for other services to change that, too.