Earlier today, Evernote, a popular note taking application that works across multiple devices, reported that customer data such as usernames, passwords, and email addresses had been breached and accessed by a third party. However, user content stored within Evernote was reportedly not accessed. Evernote also notes that all user passwords are encrypted (hashed and salted), but, in an “abundance of caution,” all Evernote user passwords have been reset.
In addition to announcing the breach, the company says that it will release updates to its software to make the password change process simpler.
The Mac app update has already been released (not on the Mac App Store), as noted by MacStories. In addition to the password enhancement, the new Mac app update adds a new “QuickNote” popover (pictured below) for quick inputting of notes into Evernote:
Below is a copy of the email regarding the breach that Evernote sent to its users:
The Evernote team
As a precaution to protect your data, we have decided to implement a password reset. Please read below for details and instructions.
In our security investigation, we have found no evidence that any of the content you store in Evernote was accessed, changed or lost. We also have no evidence that any payment information for Evernote Premium or Evernote Business customers was accessed.
The investigation has shown, however, that the individual(s) responsible were able to gain access to Evernote user information, which includes usernames, email addresses associated with Evernote accounts and encrypted passwords. Even though this information was accessed, the passwords stored by Evernote are protected by one-way encryption. (In technical terms, they are hashed and salted.)
While our password encryption measures are robust, we are taking additional steps to ensure that your personal data remains secure. This means that, in an abundance of caution, we are requiring all users to reset their Evernote account passwords. Please create a new password by signing into your account on evernote.com.
After signing in, you will be prompted to enter your new password. Once you have reset your password on evernote.com, you will need to enter this new password in other Evernote apps that you use. We are also releasing updates to several of our apps to make the password change process easier, so please check for updates over the next several hours.
As recent events with other large services have demonstrated, this type of activity is becoming more common. We take our responsibility to keep your data safe very seriously, and we’re constantly enhancing the security of our service infrastructure to protect Evernote and your content.
There are also several important steps that you can take to ensure that your data on any site, including Evernote, is secure:
- Avoid using simple passwords based on dictionary words
- Never use the same password on multiple sites or services
- Never click on ‘reset password’ requests in emails — instead go directly to the service
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We apologize for the annoyance of having to change your password, but, ultimately, we believe this simple step will result in a more secure Evernote experience. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Evernote Support.
