Well… I guess we kind of knew. But didn’t really want to know, right?
Turns out, the Yahoo data breach was much worse than anyone originally reported. Back in 2016, Yahoo announced that around 1 billion accounts had been affected by a breach that actually occurred in 2013. That was already huge. But then came the real kicker: in 2017, they admitted the number wasn’t 1 billion — it was three billion accounts. That’s basically every single Yahoo user.
That includes not just Yahoo Mail, but also Flickr, Tumblr, Yahoo Fantasy Sports, and other related services. And while financial information wasn’t exposed (according to Yahoo), names, email addresses, hashed passwords, birthdates, and in some cases, security questions and answers were.
Yikes.
I personally removed myself from anything Yahoo-related way back in 2005, which in hindsight was a pretty solid move. But hearing this made me realize I’ve still got some digital footprints in Yahoo’s backyard — like old fantasy league accounts and, oh yeah… that dusty old Flickr page I haven’t touched in forever.
It’s a weird mix of frustration and fatigue. Like, we know by now that data breaches happen. But three billion accounts? That’s basically a reminder that if you’ve ever had a Yahoo service, your info is probably out there somewhere. And what’s worse is how long it took for the full truth to come out.
So now’s the time to:
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Change old passwords (especially if you’ve reused them).
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Check old accounts you might’ve forgotten about.
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Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
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Seriously consider using a password manager.
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Delete or deactivate any accounts you don’t use anymore.
Also, maybe check if your email has been compromised using services like Have I Been Pwned.
For those who were affected, the breach is more than just a number — it’s a reminder to stay vigilant, even with platforms we left behind years ago.
References: http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/03/technology/business/yahoo-breach-3-billion-accounts/index.html
