Yahoo Detects Mass Hack Attempt On Yahoo Mail, Resets All Affected Passwords

  • 30 January 2014
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The details are a bit sparse right now, but Yahoo has just disclosed by way of their Tumblr that they’ve detected what they’re calling a “coordinated effort to gain unauthorized access to Yahoo Mail accounts”.

Yahoo didn’t disclose how many accounts were affected, but we’ve asked for clarification and will update the post accordingly. It’s possible that they’ve yet to nail down an exact number. Given that it was enough to disclose the news in a public blog post, it’s presumably a non-trivial amount.

The (sort of?) good news: it doesn’t appear that Yahoo’s own servers were compromised — instead, it looks like someone is firing off a bunch of login attempts using emails/passwords secured from an unnamed “third-party database compromise”. In other words: the attackers got someone else’s database of usernames/passwords, and are mass-checking for accounts that use them same credentials on Yahoo Mail.

In response to the attack, Yahoo has reset the passwords of all accounts that appear to have been affected. If you’re trying to log in and Yahoo is asking you to change your password and verify your identity via SMS, this is probably why.
 
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Grrr!


 
TH
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Nice quote from our own George Anderson (@ on the community) in this article:
 
http://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/computerweekly/41288_yahoo.jpg
"Although organisations like Yahoo have a big role to play in ensuring user data is stored safely and securely, at the end of the day it's also the responsibility of consumers to do everything they can to keep their credentials safe, he said.
"Having multiple passwords should be done where possible. They should also change their passwords on a regular basis and make sure to take advantage of any additional layers of security available such as biometrics, PIN and so on. By taking these steps, consumers should ensure their data is safe in spite of any attempted hacks."
 
Read the full article here.
 
 
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Security Experts have been warning us for years not to use the same password on more than one site. While most of the time it is only a single person who has multiple account exposure, this breach is a wake up call to millions all at one time.

Circular verification can also be a no no. (Using your Yahoo email to receive account reset emails for Gmail which recieves them for the Yahoo.

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