Reply To: OCU C)ISSO A Discussion Lesson 17
In the 2013 Yahoo data breach, the attacker had a clear means, opportunity, and motive.
Means: The hacker used stolen credentials and exploited weaknesses in Yahoo’s outdated security systems to infiltrate the platform. Yahoo’s reliance on old encryption and unpatched software made it easier for the attacker to access user accounts.
Opportunity: Yahoo was slow to update its security measures and lacked robust monitoring, giving the attacker an ideal chance to move through the system undetected.
Motive: The goal was to steal valuable personal data, such as names, emails, passwords, and security questions, for profit. Stolen data could be sold, used for identity theft, or leveraged to attack other accounts. The breach had significant consequences for Yahoo. Over three billion accounts were compromised, resulting in a loss of trust among users and damaging Yahoo’s reputation. The company faced lawsuits, financial losses, and a substantial drop in value when Verizon acquired it.
Wikipedia.(2013). Yahoo data breaches. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahoo_data_breaches