Step Aside, Equifax: Yahoo Now Says 3 Billion Accounts Were Hacked in 2013

Yahoo previously said that 1 billion accounts were compromised

Yahoo

Your parents’ favorite email account was probably hacked.

Yahoo announced on Tuesday its 2013 data leak — which the company said hit 1 billion users in late 2016 — was more severe than initially thought, striking about 3 billion accounts at the time.

“Subsequent to Yahoo’s acquisition by Verizon, and during integration, the company recently obtained new intelligence and now believes, following an investigation with the assistance of outside forensic experts, that all Yahoo user accounts were affected by the August 2013 theft,” the company said in a statement.

It added that the hack “did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information.” Yahoo said it’ll be sending out “email notifications” to the newly discovered hacked accounts, so if you thought you got away unscathed, keep an eye on your inbox.

Verizon initially engaged Yahoo on an acquisition last summer, but negotiated to shave off $350 million from the buyout after Yahoo revealed details of the massive breach in December 2016. The sale was completed in June, with Yahoo combining with AOL to fall under the new “Oath” banner.

“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,” Verizon Chief Information Officer Chandra McMahon said. “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.”

If you’re having keeping track of the hacks, it’s understandable; Yahoo had a separate data leak in 2014, which hit 500 million accounts.

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