Yahoo has officially stated that all 3 billion of its accounts were hacked in a 2013 data theft; triple the original estimate, following a new analysis of the incident. The disclosure from Verizon, which acquired Yahoo's online assets earlier this year, revised upward the initial estimate of one billion accounts affected.
Yahoo has officially stated that all 3 billion of its accounts were hacked in a 2013 data theft; triple the original estimate, following a new analysis of the incident. The disclosure from Verizon, which acquired Yahoo's online assets earlier this year, revised upward the initial estimate of one billion accounts affected.
This estimate is based on "new intelligence" following an investigation with the assistance of outside forensic experts into the incident in August 2013.
The attack on Yahoo was unprecedented in size, more than triple other large attacks on sites such as eBay, and came to light at a difficult time for Yahoo. Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer was reportedly under pressure to shore up the flagging fortunes of the site founded in 1994.
At that time, the Yahoo breach was already believed to be the largest ever in terms of numbers of users affected. But a recently disclosed breach by credit agency Equifax is seen as potentially more damaging because of the sensitivity of the data leaked.
Although Yahoo is no longer an independent company -- its financial holdings are in a separate company now called Altaba -- Verizon has continued to operate the Yahoo brand, including its email service and a variety of news and entertainment websites. Oath includes the Yahoo internet operations along with those of another former internet star, AOL.
Yahoo, which was once one of the leading internet firms, sold its main online operations to Verizon in a deal that closed in June for $4.48 billion.
In addition to the 2013 breach, Yahoo said that hackers in 2014 stole personal data from more than 500 million of its user accounts. While the breach comprised mostly low-value information, it did include security questions and answers created by users themselves. That data could make users vulnerable if they use the same answers on other sites. A former Yahoo employee said the Q&A were deliberately left unencrypted, which allowed Yahoo to catch fake accounts more easily because fake accounts tended to reuse questions and answers.
Many Yahoo users rushed to close their accounts and change passwords as experts warned that the fallout from one of the largest cyber breaches in history could spill beyond the internet company's services.
The attack at Yahoo has raised troubling questions about online security and data theft which may be used for fraud or espionage purposes.
With inputs from AFP Relax News
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "hack, Yahoo, Yahoo users, Rick Hollister, Yahoo breach, Yahoo email, SY Lee, Yahoo Hack, Trending Topics, hacked")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}