eBay announced that in an effort to make shopping more secure, it will restrict site access through older versions of web browsers.

This is largely in response to the POODLE SSL 3.0 vulnerability recently discovered by Google. The company says in a blog post:

We have decided to restrict the use of an outdated Internet security protocol, SSL 3.0, because we have determined it does not meet our standards. This industry-wide protocol, which is more than 18 years old, has been recently restricted by many Internet companies because it has a vulnerability.

Fortunately, the newest versions of browsers available provide higher levels of protection. The newest versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari will continue to work without SSL 3.0. However, customers using older browsers (see below) without support for the newer, more secure protocol, will experience issues using eBay and need to update their browser.

eBay adds that implementing this change is “necessary” to ensure a safe and secure experience for customers. The company, as you may know, suffered a massive data breach not all that long ago.

The big web browser companies are working on fixes for the vulnerability.

Image via Wikimedia Commons