Yahoo Responds to Data Breach (Again)

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This is second post with the same title for BizCom in the News; the first was in September-just a few months ago.

Yahoo Breach 2

For this data breach, the company again used Tumblr to communicate with users. This post has bold headings, but the messages are similar.

Reuters reports this is the biggest data breach in history, affecting 1 billion users. The stock dropped 6%,  and Verizon is renegotiating its terms to buy the company. Verizon has threatened to sue if Yahoo refuses to reduce the purchase price, 

The Reuters article quotes experts with harsh comments about the company:

  • "Yahoo has fallen down on security in so many ways I have to recommend that if you have an active Yahoo email account, either direct with Yahoo of via a partner like AT&T, get rid of it." 
  • "Considering the repeated cases of data theft, users should look more closely at which services they want to use in the future and security should play a part in that decision."

In addition to its blog post, a Yahoo spokesperson commented, essentially rephrasing part of the Tumblr post: "We're committed to keeping our users secure, both by continuously striving to stay ahead of ever-evolving online threats and to keep our users and platforms secure."

Discussion:

  • How do you think this news will affect Yahoo users? Does it change your opinion of the company? Does the fact that Yahoo is a technology company influence your opinion?
  • How well does the Tumblr post address users' concerns?
  • Should the Yahoo spokesperson have said something different when questioned by the Reuters reporter? What might have worked better?