• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Here’s What You Should Do After the Massive Yahoo Hack

By
TIME
TIME
and
Alex Fitzpatrick
Alex Fitzpatrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
TIME
TIME
and
Alex Fitzpatrick
Alex Fitzpatrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 22, 2016, 4:30 PM ET

Yahoo confirmed Thursday that at least 500 million usernames and passwords were stolen by hackers back in 2014. The company isn’t saying who exactly is behind the attack, blaming an unnamed “state-sponsored actor.”

If you have a Yahoo (YHOO) account, what should you do now?

First, log in to your account and change your passwords. Never use the same password for more than one site — if you’ve been doing that, the hacker(s) who attacked Yahoo could use that password to gain access to your other accounts across the web, so change your other passwords too.

If you have trouble remembering more than one password, consider a password management program like 1Password or LastPass. (These programs can also generate secure passwords that are a jumble of letters and numbers, which are harder to guess than passwords you might think up on your own.)

For more, read: Could Yahoo Hack Kill the Verizon Deal?

Second, turn on two-factor authentication for your Yahoo account. This will require you to have your smartphone handy when you log in to your Yahoo account, meaning a hacker will need more than just your password to get access. Here’s how to do it.

Third, consider using Yahoo’s “Account Key” feature, which replaces written passwords with a smartphone app. It’s like a souped-up version of the step above. Here’s how to do it.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Hacks like these are a good reminder of how important it is to practice good password hygiene. It’s generally a good idea to be constantly changing your passwords, using password managers, and turning on two-factor authentication whenever possible for any service you use.

This story was originally published on Time.com.

About the Authors
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Alex Fitzpatrick
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

CryptoCryptocurrency
Exclusive: Harvard grads raise $20 million for Ostium, a platform focused on a derivative popular with crypto traders
By Ben WeissDecember 3, 2025
27 minutes ago
MagazineMedia
CoComelon started as a YouTube show for toddlers. It’s now a $3 billion empire that even Disney can’t ignore
By Natalie JarveyDecember 3, 2025
57 minutes ago
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Anthropic Co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei speaks at the "How AI Will Transform Business in the Next 18 Months" panel during INBOUND 2025 Powered by HubSpot at Moscone Center on September 04, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot)
InvestingAnthropic
Anthropic considers IPO despite warnings that excess liquidity is blowing a bubble in the markets
By Jim EdwardsDecember 3, 2025
2 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Exclusive: Angle Health raises $134 million Series B to grow its AI-driven healthcare benefits offerings
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 3, 2025
2 hours ago
Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei speaking at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2023 in Park City, Utah. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Anthropic plows toward an IPO
By Andrew NuscaDecember 3, 2025
2 hours ago
MagazineFood and drink
A Chinese ice cream chain, powered by super-cheap cones, now has more outlets than McDonald’s
By Theodora YuDecember 3, 2025
4 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
5 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk says he warned Trump against tariffs, which U.S. manufacturers blame for a turn to more offshoring and diminishing American factory jobs
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 2, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
MacKenzie Scott's $19 billion donations have turned philanthropy on its head—why her style of giving actually works
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.