How to change your eBay password

How to change your eBay password

eBay users need to change their passwords following a security breach. However, the process isn't as easy or upfront as it could be.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

eBay is asking users to change their passwords following a security hack that compromised a database with user passwords. So just how and where do you change your password?

eBay's home page now sports a Password Update notice with a "Learn more" link to another page that explains what happened. But neither page links directly to the option to actually change your password, leaving users in a lurch if they don't know what to do or where to go.

For all you eBay users, here's how you can change your password:

1. Sign into your eBay account at eBay's home page.
2. After you have logged in, hover over the down arrow at the top of the page next to your name. A dropdown menu displays a few options, including one for Account settings. Click the Account settings option.
3. Your account page appears. On the left side, under my eBay Views, click the link for Personal Information.
4. At the Personal Information page, a section called Account Information appears at the top with a setting for Password. Click the Edit link to the far right of the word Password.
5. eBay prompts you to enter your email address or user ID. Type either one and then click Continue.
6. eBay asks how you want to reset your password, either through email or a text message. Click the option you wish to use.
7. Assuming you selected the email option, eBay sends you a Reset Your Password message. Click the link in the email. That link brings you to a page where you can enter your new eBay password. If you picked the text option instead, eBay displays a form to enter a PIN and texts you that PIN. Type the PIN in the appropriate field on that form, and the page to enter your new password appears.
8. As always, try to devise a password that's as strong as possible yet one you'll remember. I know, I know, that's not easy. As one idea, a good password manager can make the process of creating, storing, and using your passwords a lot more palatable.
9. Enter your new eBay password once and then again to confirm it. eBay then prompts you to log in again with your new password.

You can shed a few steps off the process by not initially signing into eBay. Simply click the Sign in link at eBay's home page. Then click the "forgot your password" link. eBay deposits you at the Reset your password page where you can pick up the process at Step 5 above.

In light of the security breach, eBay needs to make the process to change your password much easier and much more accessible. But for now, these steps should help you change your password without too much agita.

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How to control your Facebook privacy

How to control your Facebook privacy

The social network has changed a key setting to ensure your updates aren't shared with the wrong people. What else can Facebook users do?

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Facebook offers several tools and settings through which you can safeguard your privacy. But it's still up to you to control your own socially networked destiny.

On Thursday, Facebook tweaked the default option for new members so that updates are shared only with friends and not with the public. In line with that change, let's take a tour through Facebook's basic privacy settings. Tightening these settings can help ensure that you're as well-hidden as possible on the world's largest social network.

First off, you can change the default audience for all your updates and control each update individually. To do this, log into your Facebook account and click the Privacy Shortcuts icon in the upper right.

From the Privacy Shortcuts menu, click the link for "Who can see my Stuff?" Under the setting for "Who can see my future posts?" click the button and select the appropriate default audience for your updates. You can select Public (usually not the best choice), Friends (probably the best option), or Only Me (not much point putting it on Facebook then). You can also choose a custom option if you want to share your updates only with specific lists of Facebook friends.

You can then override the default setting for any individual update. In the update (or What's on your mind?) field on your Facebook page, simply click the default sharing setting and change it to something else. For example, you may want to set your default audience to friends but share a specific update only with a more limited group of people.

Further, you can change the audience for updates you've already posted. To do this, again click the Privacy Shortcuts icon in the upper right and click the link for "Who can see my Stuff?" Under the setting for "Where do I review who can see or find things I've posted or been tagged in?" click the link to Use Activity Log.

Facebook displays a timeline of all the updates you've posted, liked, or commented on. Hovering over the small audience icon to the right of the text shows you who can see the update.

You can't control who sees updates from other people, but you can control your own. Simply click the audience icon for one of your own updates and change the selection. For example, you may decide that an embarrassing update should no longer be shared with all your friends but only with a few people. Of course, all of your friends may have already seen this update, but at least you can limit its exposure for the future.

Want to see how your timeline looks to other people? Again, click the Privacy Shortcuts icon in the upper right and click the link for "Who can see my Stuff?" Under the setting for "What do other people see on my timeline?" click the View as link.

By default, Facebook shows you what your page looks like to the public. You can change that by clicking the link to View as Specific Person at the top and then typing and selecting the name of one of your Facebook friends.

Next, you can determine which types of messages you want to appear in your Facebook inbox. Click the Privacy Shortcuts icon in the upper right and click the link for "Who can contact me?" Under the setting for "Whose messages do I want filtered into my Inbox?" choose either basic or strict filtering. The former allows messages from friends and people you may know, while the latter restricts messages from just your Facebook friends.

Under the setting for "Who can send me friend requests?" click the button to choose between Everyone or only Friends of Friends.

Finally, what can you do if someone keeps pestering you on Facebook? Click the link for "How do I stop someone from bothering me?" Type the name or email address of the person you wish to block, and that individual will be unfriended and won't be able to start conversations with you or see your updates.

Facebook offers still more tools and settings worth exploring. Click the See More Settings link at the bottom of the Privacy Shortcuts window.

A section called "Who can look me up?" controls who can look you up on Facebook using your email address or phone number. The Timeline and Tagging page lets you manage who can post on your timeline and what they can see. And the Blocking page allows you to block specific users and apps on Facebook.

Facebook has often been criticized for not caring about users' privacy. But the site does provide tools to help users control their own privacy. Reviewing and managing these settings is something all Facebook users should do.

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Sony hacked again, this time the PlayStation Network

Sony hacked again, this time the PlayStation Network

Anonymous hackers have claimed responsibility for shutting the online store earlier.

The error message greeting visitors to the PlayStation store today.Sony

Sony has been hit by another hack -- the PlayStation Network and store has been targeted and taken offline.

Although the online store for games, films and TV shows seems to be back up and running once again, visitors to the site were brought to a halt on Sunday night with a message reading, "Page Not Found! It's not you. It's the Internet's fault." Gamers have also reported difficulties while trying to play online 

Sony says only, "We are currently investigating the root cause for the issue."

An anonymous individual or group calling itself Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility with a tweet late on Sunday reading "PSN Login #offline #LizardSquad".

The latest hack comes less than a week after Sony celebrated the 20th birthday of the PlayStation games console. As well as building games consoles and selling games, Sony has a movie studio, which fell prey to hackers last month. A cache totalling more than 100 terabytes of internal Sony files and films was stolen in that attack.

The information included customer passwords, Sony employees' Social Security numbers, and contracts with celebrities. A number of forthcoming Sony movies including "Annie", "Mr. Turner" and "To Write Love On Her Arms" were also leaked.

Some had speculated that the North Korean government may have been motivated to hack Sony in retaliation for the forthcoming comedy film "The Interview", about a plot to assassinate the country's leader, Kim Jong-Un. The North Korean government on Sunday denied responsibility for the attack.

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