Another Yahoo hack- here are three things you should do now!

It’s that time of the year when the data breaches are just everywhere. And again, our old friend Yahoo surprises us with another end-of-year-hack. Only this time, it’s not several million, but a Billion compromised accounts.

A Billion. That’s a big number. And it also means probably everyone reading this post if potentially effected.

But what are you, the ordinary user, supposed to do? You can’t improve Yahoo’s security (it seems no one can) can you?

Nope. And you shouldn’t have to worry about whether companies are doing an ok job at securing your details. But companies being what they are, and hackers doing what they do, we all find ourselves in the crosshairs after such hacks.

So here are 3 immediate steps you should take tomorrow morning to reduce your exposure to this hack and reduce risk.

1. Check this site to see if your email address has been present at one of the major leaks. Just enter it here: https://haveibeenpwned.com/.If so, it’s time to think about new, complex passwords.
2. Visit less active accounts- such as your pension broker or insurance company. These websites use simple login details (an email and password, perhaps with your ID or social security number) just like so many other site.  But, you hardly check them (unlike your online bank account, which you check on a regular basis). Therefore it is less likely you will have any sign of tampering with your account until it’s too late.
3. Close your Yahoo! account:
   It’s easier than you think- just go to this link and follow the instructions: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN2044.html

This might seem harsh, but Yahoo! has proved itself incapable of securing users’ information. And anyway, I bet your inbox has over 9999 new emails (just like mine). So follow the link above and close it.

Wishing you a safe, breach-free year in 2017!