SHEIN data breach saw hackers steal 6.42 million users emails and encrypted passwords stolen

• The compromised data includes users email addresses and encrypted passwords.
• Customers have been urged to reset their passwords to protect their accounts.

The popular online fashion store SHEIN acknowledged falling victim to a data breach that may have affected the personal information of approximately 6.42 million users. The company discovered the incident on August 22. However, it is believed that the hackers behind the attack likely began stealing information back in June.

The firm said that the attackers carried out a well-planned strategy to infiltrate the security protections of their computers. Although no technical details were available about the breach, SHEIN said the intruder managed to gain access to customers’ email addresses and encrypted passwords.

SHEIN said that there was no evidence of credit card information being compromised in the breach.

“We have seen no evidence that your credit card information was taken from our systems and SHEIN typically does not store credit card information on its systems. If you believe your credit card information may have been compromised, we urge you to contact your bank or credit card company with any concerns,” SHEIN said in a statement.

The company said that it hired a forensic cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident and is currently assessing how to improve its security. The firm also said that it is closely monitoring its network and servers to prevent such breaches in the future.

“We are evaluating/implementing additional security measures at the recommendation of our investigators and we continuously try to improve those safeguards in response to evolving technology and threats,” SHEIN added.

Reset your passwords

Although the firm stressed that its online shopping site is now safe to visit and shop from, SHEIN urged its customers to reset their passwords to protect their accounts.

“At this time, SHEIN is requesting that all customers reset their passwords by clicking the link on the email notification from SHEIN or logging into their account on this website and clicking the “Edit Password” link under the “Account Setting” page to immediately to protect their accounts. After completing the password reset process, customers should feel safe and confident about making purchases,” SHEIN explained.