After its struggles to find a buyer and the attack attributed to a mysterious government agent, anyone would think things couldn't get worse for Yahoo!, but 2016 still had a couple of blows left, and it just landed one on the jaw of the now fallen digital giant. Through a new investigation, the company determined that in August 2013, 1 billion accounts were compromised... adding to the 500 million announced in September.
An old saying says that the human being is the only animal capable of tripping twice on the same stone, but what happens when we talk about companies? The consequences can be disturbing, and if there is a name that is slowly becoming a case study for future executives, it is Yahoo!. Unable to compete with its direct rivals, with questionable acquisitions from any angle, political decisions that exploded in all directions, lawsuits from former employees, and now, one security crisis after another. Last September's announcement left Yahoo! on the brink of a knockout, and with this new announcement, let's say it has already touched the canvas.
The investigation
Apparently, the company received information from the authorities that was studied by forensic experts, and its conclusion is that an external element managed to steal data related to more than a billion accounts in August 2013. Chronologically, the cyberattack took place before the one Yahoo! revealed a couple of months ago, and according to available material they would not be related. Names, email addresses, phone numbers, hashed passwords, birth dates, security questions and answers are part of the data package that was extracted. There is no evidence of credit card leaks, bank information, or unencrypted passwords.
The fallout
Needless to say, it is a perfect storm for Yahoo!. Its shares lost 6% in 24 hours, and several reports indicate Verizon seeks a significant cut in the purchase price (remember that in July it had announced the acquisition of Yahoo! for $4.83 billion), or alternatively, let the operation fall completely. One thing is certain: Yahoo! cannot keep receiving hits like this, and at this point nobody denies the possibility that the company disappears completely.
