Security Alert for Yahoo Users
By Bob Lord, CISO
Following a recent investigation, we’ve known information security problems regarding bound Yahoo user accounts. We’ve taken steps to secure those user accounts and we’re operating closely with enforcement.
What happened?
As we tend to antecedently disclosed in Nov, enforcement provided North American nation with information files that a 3rd party claimed was Yahoo user information. We tend to analyzed this information with the help of out of doors rhetorical specialists and located that it seems to be Yahoo user information. Supported more analysis of this information by the rhetorical specialists, we tend to believe associate degree unauthorized third party, in August 2013, scarf information related to quite one billion user accounts. We’ve not been ready to establish the intrusion related to this stealing. We tend to believe this incident is probably going distinct from the incident we tend to disclosed on Sept twenty two, 2016.
For doubtless affected accounts, the taken user account data could have enclosed names, email addresses, phonephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security queries and answers. The investigation indicates that the taken data didn’t embody passwords in clear text, payment card information, or checking account data. Payment card information and checking account data aren’t hold on within the system the corporate believes was affected.
Separately, we tend to antecedently disclosed that our outside rhetorical specialists were work the creation of solid cookies that might enable associate degree entrant to access users’ accounts while not a countersign. Supported the continued investigation, we tend to believe associate degree unauthorized third party accessed our proprietary code to be told the way to forge cookies. The surface rhetorical specialists have known user accounts that they believe solid cookies were taken or used. We tend to area unit notifying the affected account holders, and have invalid the cast cookies. We’ve connected a number of this activity to constant state-sponsored actor believed to be accountable for the information stealing the corporate disclosed on Sept 22, 2016.
What area unit we tend to doing to guard our users?
We area unit notifying doubtless affected users and have taken steps to secure their accounts, as well as requiring users to alter their passwords. We’ve additionally invalid unencrypted security queries associate degreed answers so they can’t be wont to access an account. With regard to the cookie shaping activity, we tend to invalid the cast cookies and hardened our systems to secure them against similar attacks. We tend to endlessly enhance our safeguards and systems that notice and forestall unauthorized access to user accounts.
What will users do to guard their account?
We encourage our users to go to our Safety Center page for recommendations on the way to keep secure on-line. Some vital recommendations we’re re-emphasizing these days embody the following:
> Change your passwords and security queries and answers for the other accounts on that you used constant or similar data used for your Yahoo account
> Review all of your accounts for suspicious activity
> Be cautious of any unsought communications that invite your personal data or refer you to an internet page posing for personal information
> Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails and
> Consider using Yahoo Account Key, a straightforward authentication tool that eliminates the necessity to use a countersign on Yahoo altogether.
For additional data concerning these security matters and our security resources, please visit the Yahoo Security Issue FAQs page, https://yahoo.com/security-update.
Statements during this promulgation concerning the findings of Yahoo’s current investigations involve potential risks and uncertainties. The ultimate conclusions of the investigations could disagree from the findings up to now as a result of numerous factors as well as, however not restricted to, the invention of latest or further data and alternative developments that will arise throughout the course of the investigation. Additional data concerning potential risks and uncertainties of security breaches that might have an effect on the Company’s business and monetary results is enclosed below the caption “Risk Factors” within the Company’s Quarterly Report on kind 10-Q for the quarter finished Sept thirty, 2016, that is on file with the SEC.
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