Yahoo CyberSecurity Update: Data Breech Affects One Billion Email Users

The battle to keep user information safe continues for Yahoo. In a new statement released by the company, Yahoo admitted that its data security problems are worse than previously reported. In the fall of 2016, it was announced that hackers were able to access data from millions of Yahoo email accounts.

The company made a recent update to the data breech by confessing more details in the following statement:

“As Yahoo previously disclosed in November, law enforcement provided the company with data files that a third party claimed was Yahoo user data. The company analyzed this data with the assistance of outside forensic experts and found that it appears to be Yahoo user data. Based on further analysis of this data by the forensic experts, Yahoo believes an unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts. The company has not been able to identify the intrusion associated with this theft. Yahoo believes this incident is likely distinct from the incident the company disclosed on September 22, 2016.”

Yahoo’s statement continues, revealing the potential threat for future identity theft problems among affected email users.

“For affected accounts, the stolen user account information may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. The investigation indicates that the stolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information. Payment card data and bank account information are not stored in the system the company believes was affected.”

Yahoo could get help with its cybersecurity issues from Verizon. New York City Wired previously reported that telecommunications giant Verizon finalized a sale for $4.8 billion to acquire Yahoo. The deal includes Yahoo’s core internet business. Yahoo would be able to make more money on the sale of it’s real estate, patents and non-core assets. Verizon has not commented on Yahoo’s cybersecurity issues since the sale was announced.