Written by Stephanie Ou

Over the past couple of weeks, several internet companies, including Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple, have been victims of sophisticated hacking attacks. The most recent company to have a breach of security is Evernote, an online note-taking application that can be accessed through almost any computer, mobile phone, or tablet. With almost 50 million users and 100,00 new users everyday, Evernote is requiring everyone to reset their passwords upon logging in on their computer or mobile application. Among the other companies that were hacked, Evernote is the only one that has made the password reset mandatory.

Users can choose to operate on a free account or a paid account with fewer advertisements, less restrictions, and more storage space. Evernote CEO and founder, Phil Libin, stated that the hackers gained access to users’ usernames, email addresses, nicknames, and encrypted passwords. However, for its paid account services including Evernote Business and Evernote Premium, the company stresses that there is no evidence to suggest that users’ payment details were accessed, changed, or lost. Evernote became suspicious of a potential hacking attack on February 28 and believes that it caught the attack early on. They are still investigating whether the Evernote security breach is related to the other high-profile companies that were hacked earlier in the week. Investigators believe that the hacks of Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple are traced to Eastern European cybercriminals. In addition, newspaper companies, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, suffered security breaches recently. Investigators believe the Chinese military is responsible for the newspaper hacks, although they deny any involvement.

Evernote’s powerful capabilities to take notes through any computer, mobile phone, and tablet appeals to the ongoing trend of and transition to cloud-based applications. However, with news of so many Web-based companies being hacked recently, users may become less confident in the security of their personal information with these services. Also, Evernote and other companies are using the recent hacking attacks as ways to encourage customers to protect their information and use strong, secure passwords. While people are beginning to use more cloud-based services like Evernote, they are simultaneously risking the safety and security of their personal information.

Sources:http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/02/evernote-saw-first-signs-of-hacking-on-feb-28-emails-passwords-and-usernames-accessed-but-not-your-data-or-payment-details/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57572212-83/online-note-service-evernote-latest-firm-to-get-hacked/http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/evernote-resets-passwords-service-hacked/story?id=18638908