New data presented by Yahoo and Verizon's parent company, Oath, shows that more accounts were affected by the 2013 data breach than previously reported. When it was announced four years ago, the figure was 1 billion users, but Mashable reports that the number has climbed to 3 billion. That means everyone who had a Yahoo account at the time was involved.
After forensic experts and "new investigation" revealed the new statistics, Oath said that it would alert the additional 2 billion users that didn't get notified the first time around.
"Verizon is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and we proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats," Chandra McMahon, Verizon's chief information security officer, said in a statement. "Our investment in Yahoo is allowing that team to continue to take significant steps to enhance their security, as well as benefit from Verizon’s experience and resources."
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There is some good news, however. While usernames, telephone numbers, passwords, security questions and answers, and birthdates were leaked, no financial information was compromised. Payment accounts, bank information, and credit card data managed to stay under wraps.
Yahoo and Verizon will notify the remaining 2 billion users in the coming days. In the meantime, anyone with a Yahoo account should change their passwords and security questions as well as monitoring any suspicious activity. Additionally, Mashable adds that any questionable emails should be handled with caution, since hackers have been known to use email that looks like official correspondence. Yahoo has some guidelines for everyone on its help center.
BuzzFeed News notes that the new discovery came after Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo. After the initial hack news was announced, Verizon managed to negotiate a $350 million price drop.
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