Data Theft of 500 Million Yahoo Users by Hackers

Yahoo, the internet service company, announced on Thursday that the data of 500 million users has been stolen by hackers. According to CNN, Yahoo states that this cyber attack was organized by individuals acting on behalf of 'a government.' It is reported that this cyber breach occurred in 2014. Yahoo's statement indicated that personal information including names, birth dates, emails, phone numbers, as well as passwords and unencrypted security questions and answers of users were stolen. However, Yahoo claims that hackers did not steal users' banking information. The statement urged Yahoo users to change their passwords and security questions. According to the report, Yahoo is cooperating with security authorities regarding this cyber breach. In this context, a spokesperson for the FBI stated that the FBI is aware of this cyber attack and is investigating it. The spokesperson added: 'We take these cyber breaches very seriously and are investigating how such incidents occur and who is behind them. We continue to work with the private sector to help them strengthen security measures for their systems.' Rumors about a cyber breach emerged last month, suggesting that a hacker named 'Peace' claimed to have sold the information of 200 million Yahoo users online. In response to these rumors, Yahoo previously stated that it was aware of the claim and was investigating the matter. The news of the hack of 500 million Yahoo users comes at a sensitive time for the company. Verizon announced in July its acquisition of Yahoo for $4.83 billion, with the deal expected to be finalized in early 2017.