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Yahoo expected to admit massive breach that allegedly exposed 200m user accounts - report Yahoo confirms data breach of 500 mln users, blames 'state-sponsored actor'
(35 minutes later)
Yahoo is expected to confirm a massive data breach that compromised the accounts of more than 200 million users, according to a report on tech site Recode. Yahoo has confirmed a massive data breach that compromised the accounts of "at least" 500 million users.
News of the data breach was revealed in August when notorious cyber criminal Peace_of_Mind [Peace] claimed he was selling data of millions of Yahoo users for around $1,800. The company revealed details of the hack in a statement on Thursday, confirming that information from "at least 500 million user accounts was stolen".
Due to the hacker’s previous success, the listing was considered credible and Yahoo launched an investigation but did not call on users to change their passwords. "A recent investigation by Yahoo! Inc. has confirmed that a copy of certain user account information was stolen from the company’s network in late 2014 by what it believes is a state-sponsored actor," read the statement.
Names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, passwords and both encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers were stolen from millions of users. 
However, Yahoo doesn't believe the stolen information includes user payment card data or bank account information as that info is "not stored in the system".
News of the data breach was first revealed in August when notorious cyber criminal Peace_of_Mind [Peace] claimed he was selling data of millions of Yahoo users for around $1,800.
Due to the hacker’s previous success, the claim was considered credible and Yahoo launched an investigation but did not call on users to change their passwords.
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The company is expected to reveal details of the alleged hack this week, according to Recode, citing unnamed sources close to the matter. The sources claimed the breach is widespread and serious.  “It’s as bad as that, worse, really, ” is how one of them described the August allegations. "Yahoo believes that information associated with at least 500 million user accounts was stolen and the investigation has found no evidence that the state-sponsored actor is currently in Yahoo’s network," read the statement, adding that the investigation is ongoing and they are working with law enforcement.
The data released by Peace allegedly included user names, easily decrypted passwords and personal information like birth dates and other email addresses. Yahoo is in the process of notifying potentially affected users and has "taken steps to secure their accounts". However they're recommending any user who hasn't updated their password since 2014 to do so. 
Graham Cluley, an independent computer security analyst, said there’s a lot of speculation at the moment, “What we don't know is whether the alleged stolen login credentials were collected through phishing attacks, a breach at a different site where Yahoo users were using the same passwords, or a serious security breach at Yahoo itself.” The concession comes at the worst possible time for the beleaguered internet company. Yahoo is about to finalize the $4.8 billion sale of its email service and other core internet properties to Verizon, and this development may have huge implications for the company.
If a breach is confirmed, Yahoo would likely force users to change their passwords, Linn Freedman, a privacy attorney with Robinson & Cole LLP told Reuters. Shareholder concern over the data hack confirmation could trigger an adjustment in the price of the transaction. The sale process is near completion but need to be first approved by a number of regulatory agencies and Yahoo shareholders before any deal is sealed.
"If no financial information or Social Security numbers are involved, then most state laws would not require notification and credit monitoring would not be applicable," Freedman said.
The expected concession comes at the worst possible time for the beleaguered internet company. Yahoo is about to finalize the $4.8 billion sale of its email service and other core internet properties to Verizon, and this development may have huge implications for the company.
Shareholder concern over the data hack confirmation report could trigger an adjustment in the price of the transaction. The sale process is near completion but need to be first approved by a number of regulatory agencies and Yahoo shareholders before any deal is sealed.
Shares of both companies were up 0.5 percent in late morning trading, compared with a 0.6 percent increase in the Nasdaq Composite index, according to Reuters.
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Shares of both companies were up 0.5 percent in late morning trading, compared with a 0.6 percent increase in the Nasdaq Composite index, according to Reuters.