YAHOO! An acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle“, released a public statement Thursday, Sept. 22 confirming that the company suffered a security breach back in 2014. Over 500 million subscribers were affected in the alleged “state-sponsored” hacking.
The company went further with the assurance that all affected users will be notified, adding that action has been taken to secure affected accounts.
“Yahoo is notifying potentially affected users and has taken steps to secure their accounts,” the company said. “These steps include invalidating unencrypted security questions and answers so that they cannot be used to access an account and asking potentially affected users to change their passwords. Yahoo is also recommending that users who haven’t changed their passwords since 2014 do so.”
Read: Yahoo Suffers “State-Sponsored” Cyber Attack, Warns Users To Change Passwords Immediately.
While we all wait for the American multinational technology company to complete its investigations with the FBI, and directly notify anyone whose account may have been compromised, we think it’s right for you know this.
Your Email Account May Have Suffered An Attack If Your Computer Was Hacked And These Are Ways You Can Find Out:
- If you have experienced that some programs or files on your company don’t open or work after you click on them.
- You noticed your password(s) has been changed or access to programs disabled.
- Files you didn’t delete have been moved to the bin; or your bin was cleared.
- Your computer connects to the internet even when you’re not using it.
- Changes were made to your files without your knowledge.
- Your connected printer suddenly stops printing documents, or prints pages you didn’t send to it.
You Can Also Confirm Your Email Was Hacked Online If:
- You try logging into your email account with the right password and you’re denied access.
- Your internet searches are being directed to other websites.
- You receive virus messages which says your account may have been hacked. And you’re asked to click for help. Most times, the scam messages are intended to push you into hackers’ trap.
- Your anti-malware of virus software gets disconnected.
- People in your email contact complains of getting spam messages from your mailbox.
- You lost money in your online banking or got bills for purchases you didn’t make.
- You see pop-ups appear at random on your computer.
What You Can Do To Save Yourself:
Mashable provided the best and fastest way to confirm if your email has suffered cyberattack. The website suggests you visit www.haveibeenpwned.com
This website is owned by a security researcher named Troy Hunt, who’s job is to track security breaches. It provides you with the chance of checking as many emails as possible – one at a time – to confirm they’re safe. If there’s any breach, you will be notified of what information was accessed and exactly when.
Other Good Ways To Stay Safe:
- Restart your computer in safe mode while offline.
- Check your program files and uninstall any software you may not have downloaded by yourself, especially those that don’t work. They may be spywares.
If you’re sure that your email account has been breached, the first thing you should do is to contact your bank immediately and block your bank account.
Contact your friends and family to warn them of any message they may have received or will receive in your name asking for money or security information.
