MSUN Computer Science Transparency and Timely Communication Questions

Instructions:

1) Read the the case study  eBay 145 million users exposed by phishing aimed at employees of online marketplace.pdf eBay 145 million users exposed by phishing aimed at employees of online marketplace.pdf – Alternative Formats

2) Answer two questions in the case study.

eBay 145 million users exposed by phishing aimed at employees of online marketplace
In 2014, this event was one of the biggest hacks. The online auction giant disclosed the attack in
May 2014 stating that it exposed names, addresses, dates of birth and encrypted passwords of
145 million users. Financial information which was stored separately was not compromised.
The company’s stock price in the days after the breach took a major hit, dipping to the lowest
since December 2013.
The company said hackers gained access to company systems using the access credentials of
three employees. The hackers had complete access for 229 days during which time they were
able to make their way to the user database. A February 2013 report that described what it said
was a Shanghai-based hacking group linked to the Peoples Liberation Army.
Many consumers and security professionals were vocal in their protest of the company’s
response, in particular criticism for a lack of disclosure to users. Some even called it one of the
worst corporate crisis responses ever.
Questions:
1. Knowing how the firm eBay responded, what would you have done differently?
2. What are some steps you think the firm could have taken to prevent this incident?