Yet another example of why data security plays such an important role for any online business came to light this week, with eBay confirming that a cyber-attack took place between February and early March.

If you’re thinking that this is just another rogue hacking scheme, think again. Consider that an incredible 233 million people have had their personal details compromised, including their email addresses, phone numbers, account passwords and dates of birth.

It doesn’t stop their either. Don’t forget that eBay own the rights to PayPal, the online payment service that stores credit card details. Despite eBay insisting that PayPal hasn’t been compromised, can we really put our confidence in eBay holding on to such important data if they have failed to secure 233 million user accounts?

The database that was hacked contained all kinds of data, including encrypted passwords. As was the case with the infamous Heartbleed crisis, eBay have similarly encouraged their users to change their passwords as soon as possible, with many accounts still potentially in jeopardy.

On Wednesday, eBay introduced a feature that automatically provides you with instructions on changing your password, whilst they have also distributed emails and made the most of social media to let people know of the threat posed by the recent cyber-attack.

However, the question will now continue to roll on regarding what customers have to do to ensure that their details are kept safe online. There could even be a call for internet companies to cap the amount of personal data that they are allowed to obtain from their customers.

Unfortunately, the threat of online criminality is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, but you can protect your online business by making the most of our data security services here at Pronetic. Get in touch today for more information.