How hackers steal records from websites

Time and again, hackers manage to get to the data of large Internet companies. As early as 2014, more than half a million user data was stolen from the Internet company Yahoo. According to the company, no passwords or bank account information were hacked. First and foremost, the hackers learned the email addresses, names, personal information and security queries.

Readers can find out more about the subject in an article on Cardscore.de that is well worth reading. Yahoo has lost some of its importance in recent years, but it used to be one of the most important Internet sites. The search engines in particular dominated the market before Google existed. For this reason, many surfers have a Yahoo account, although they may no longer know anything about it. The company concerned not only includes the Yahoo.com website, but also, for example, the Flickr photo service. Although the group reported that passwords were not affected, the aforementioned website recommends changing the passwords as a precaution, especially if they have not been changed since 2014. Since there is a possibility that the hackers have e-mail addresses at their disposal, Internet surfers should get e-mails from a Yahoo account in particular. These sometimes contain attachments that the user should never click on. Most of them are .exe or .zip files that place malicious software on the computer. These then spy on the recipient, monitor his activities and thus obtain bank data or access data to other accounts, for example. Incidentally, Word files or Excel files are also dangerous. These sometimes contain macros that install malicious software on the computer. The experts agree that it is not enough just to change the data in the Yahoo account. The passwords and security queries on the other pages must also be changed. Experience shows that many users use one or two passwords for convenience. In addition, it is always the same security question that is always answered in the same way. An Internet user who is prompted for action by a report should hardly have any problems.

The search for a culprit is ongoing, and it will probably never be possible to determine with certainty. Yahoo believes it is a state-directed attack. Russia and China are currently suspected, as they have also attacked American systems in the past. The hacking attack could also affect Yahoo's market value. The attack has reduced the company's market value. Since the sale of Yahoo to the American company Verizon is pending, the attack can also have massive negative economic effects.

Affected customers shouldn't panic. It is important to change the passwords and security queries in the Yahoo account. Other passwords can also be affected. This is especially true if the surfer always uses the same password. He should also keep an eye out for suspicious emails. Often these are requests for payment or unknown invoices. Under no circumstances should you open an attachment. An invoice is usually a .pdf file, never a .zip and certainly not an .exe file.