Has Your Yahoo Account Been Hacked? Protect Yourself

Yahoo just announced yet another major security breach leaving its users worried sick again about protecting their personal information. This latest data theft affected more than 1 billion accounts, according to a CNN news report. This is roughly double the number involved in the security breach it announced in September, which is apparently separate from the most recent breach. The tech company has said it is notifying users who may have been affected by the breach and making them change their passwords.

What’s worse, the hack happened in 2013 and that means the hacker or hackers had more than three years to exploit the information they stole. But security experts say there are several ways to make your information secure. Here are just a few tips if you have been affected by the Yahoo security breach.

Change your passwords. Use different passwords for all your online accounts. People who create a really strong password for one site, but then go ahead and use it for other sites are vulnerable to attacks. Hackers who found their way into Yahoo got more than just names and passwords. They also obtained answers to security questions that most of use for bank and credit card accounts.

So, it would be in your best interest to change passwords and security answers on any accounts for which they used the same or similar information as their Yahoo account. Use a passwords managing platform like 1Password or LastPass that can generate and store passwords and security answers for all your accounts. That way, you’ll only need to remember a single, master password.

Don’t open emails asking for more information. Hackers can use your stolen information to send you emails that are believable. Such emails might, for example, disclose your security answer and then attempt to pump you for more, updated information. Don’t click on links opening downloads from unknown email addresses and never share your passwords or account information via email.

Don’t give access to your credit report. Put a freeze on your credit report and use a credit monitoring service. Hackers who have your personal information might use it to get credit cards using that information. When that happens, the first thing a bank will do is run a credit check. If you put a freeze on your credit report, you will get an alert when someone is trying to run a credit check and let them know that you did not request it.

Should you say goodbye to Yahoo? If you believe that Yahoo did take enough security measures to prevent this breach, maybe it is time to say goodbye to Yahoo. Victims of security breaches may be able to seek compensation for their losses by joining a class action lawsuit. Contact an experienced California class action attorney to obtain more information about your legal options.