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Yahoo email hack

You may have seen recently in the news that Yahoo has admitted that details of 500 million accounts had been hacked in 2014. The problem is that it may also affect Sky and BT customers.

When you set up your free email account, you will have provided personal details such as your name and often (recommended) an alternate email address. You’ll also have chosen a password and will have provided answers to security questions such your date of birth, your first school, your mother’s maiden name or other questions that only you should actually be able to answer.  These responses will then be used to reset your password if you forget it, but of course if you don’t know your security question answers, then you’ll have a terrible job to convince Yahoo that it is indeed you (and not a hacker) trying to reset your password.

Yahoo’s email services were also used by Sky Broadband and BT Internet, so this is why you may be being asked to reset your password for Sky or BT. But please be aware that scammers are trying to use the Yahoo hack to convince you of their legitimacy (see below).

Here are the web addresses of each where you can carry out a reset of your password:

https://uk.yahoo.com

https://www.bt.com/btmail

https://www.sky.com/mysky

You must know your existing password to be able to change it.  If you don’t know your password then you will have to revert to the reset password options described above.

If you used the same password for other accounts (not necessarily email accounts) you should be wary that if your details are in the hands of hackers, those other accounts may also be vulnerable.

See our document about Passwords: http://www.hilas.org.uk/documents/download/17

Please also be aware of scams that may use some of the stolen Yahoo details.  So, for example, if you gave Yahoo a telephone number, the scammers could use that to contact you and maybe have some other information about you that makes their call or email more believable.

 

Phil on 30/9/16
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