Late Wednesday evening news broke of yet another Yahoo hack. The company remains in the dark about the intrusion method and identity of the hackers. One thing is certain: an additional 1 billion user accounts–including usernames, phone numbers, security questions, and other sensitive information–were compromised.

“Any breach that involves personally identifiable (PII) information–like names, addresses, and user credentials–can haunt its victims for months or years,” said cybersecurity firm eSentire CEO J. Paul Haynes in a statement. “This information usually ends up on the dark web, where it’s cycled through buyers who can use that information to commit various forms of fraud. Hackers can also use PII to access other systems, particularly if the victim used similar username and password combinations for other accounts.”

SEE: Cybersecurity spotlight: The ransomware battle (Tech Pro Research)

The hack also rocked Verizon’s planned $4.8 billion acquisition of Yahoo. “The news … increases the pressure on both Verizon’s board to negotiate a lower price and on Yahoo’s board to finalise a sale,” said John Colley, Professor of Practice at Warwick Business School. “Verizon will have to demonstrate to shareholders that major concessions have been achieved as Yahoo! is clearly worth less now than when the $4.8Bn deal was struck. Aborting the deal may be the best option for Verizon as many shareholders have doubts about their social media strategy.”

SEE: Cybersecurity spotlight: The ransomware battle (Tech Pro Research)

Yahoo responded to the breach in an email to users that stated simply, “we have taken steps to secure your account and are working closely with law enforcement.”

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