Wow.
Yahoo have said that up to one billion users may have had their data stolen in a hack dating back as far as 2013.
It’s not their first time they’ve been the victim of hack but the company says that this is separate from a previous one which affected 500 million users.
“Yahoo is notifying potentially affected users and has taken steps to secure their accounts, including requiring users to change their passwords,” the company said in a statement. “Yahoo has also invalidated unencrypted security questions and answers so that they cannot be used to access an account.”
If you’re a Yahoo user, you need to change your password… sharpish.
While the passwords hacked were encrypted, but the trove of data stolen also included security questions which weren’t. So it’s important to review any Yahoo accounts you may have as the hackers could have access to relevant security questions necessary to make a play for your account.
The company is currently in the midst of a monster deal with Verizon but the telecommunications company has yet to say whether the latest hack will have an impact on said deal according to CNET.
“As we’ve said all along, we will evaluate the situation as Yahoo continues its investigation,” Verizon’s statement read. “We will review the impact of this new development before reaching any final conclusions.”
One billion users… well, they comfortably set a record for the biggest hack ever and with the earth’s population in the seven billion region, there’s a strong possibility this latest hack has affected someone you know.
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