• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

This Senator Is Calling for an Investigation of Yahoo’s Security Practices

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 15, 2016, 10:50 AM ET
Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo
Marissa Mayer, CEO of YahooJason Alden—Bloomberg via Getty Images

A senior Democratic senator on Thursday said he intended to investigate Yahoo’s cyber security practices after the company announced it had uncovered another massive data breach dating to August 2013 that affected more than 1 billion user accounts.

The haul of data is the largest on record and appears to be separate from a 2014 attack the beleaguered internet company disclosed earlier, Yahoo said Wednesday.

“This most recent revelation warrants a separate follow-up and I plan to press the company on why its cyber defenses have been so weak as to have compromised over a billion users,” Senator Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement to Reuters.

Warner, who will become the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee next year, described the hacks as “deeply troubling.” He said he had repeatedly asked Yahoo for briefings about the 2014 hack, which affected 500 million accounts, but had not received a response.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

After the 2014 hack, which was disclosed in September, Warner asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Yahoo had fulfilled obligations to inform investors and the public about it.

“If a breach occurs, consumers should not be first learning of it three years later,” Warner said on Thursday. “Prompt notification enables users to potentially limit the harm of a breach of this kind, particularly when it may have exposed authentication information such as security question answers they may have used on other sites.”

In a statement Wednesday, Yahoo (YHOO) said the billion stolen user account credentials may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers.

For more, read: Yahoo Discloses Breach of Another 1 Billion Accounts

Verizon Communications (VZ) said in October that it might withdraw from an agreement to buy Yahoo’s core internet business for $4.83 billion. Following news of the latest hack, Verizon said it would “review the impact of this new development before reaching any final conclusions.”

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

smart glasses
AILondon
AI smart glasses are helping visually impaired runners take on the London Marathon
By The Associated Press and Mustakim HasnathApril 24, 2026
16 minutes ago
Data centers are finding a surprising way to deploy batteries
EnergyData centers
Data centers are finding a surprising way to deploy batteries
By Mark Chediak, Michelle Ma and BloombergApril 24, 2026
1 hour ago
Cohere’s European push highlights the rise of AI’s middle powers beyond the US and China
AIVenture Capital
Cohere’s European push highlights the rise of AI’s middle powers beyond the US and China
By Sharon GoldmanApril 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic says engineering missteps were behind Claude Code’s month-long decline after weeks of user backlash
By Beatrice NolanApril 24, 2026
4 hours ago
Your shareholder letter sounds like ChatGPT wrote it. This is the four-word phrase giving CEOs away
AIcommunications
Your shareholder letter sounds like ChatGPT wrote it. This is the four-word phrase giving CEOs away
By Molly Liebergall and Morning BrewApril 24, 2026
4 hours ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsApril 24, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite nearing their 60s, nearly four in 10 Americans heading towards the end of their careers don’t even have a retirement account
Success
Despite nearing their 60s, nearly four in 10 Americans heading towards the end of their careers don’t even have a retirement account
By Emma BurleighApril 23, 2026
1 day ago
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
Economy
When interest on national debt overtook military spending, it triggered a limit where the U.S. may ‘cease to be a great power,’ warns Hoover historian
By Eleanor PringleApril 23, 2026
1 day ago
‘Don’t leave’: Jensen Huang challenges billionaire class as he insists ‘highest taxes in the world’ are OK with him
Big Tech
‘Don’t leave’: Jensen Huang challenges billionaire class as he insists ‘highest taxes in the world’ are OK with him
By Jacqueline MunisApril 23, 2026
24 hours ago
Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for 'maximum control, zero rejection'—experts say it could make them unemployable
Success
Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for 'maximum control, zero rejection'—experts say it could make them unemployable
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 17, 2026
8 days ago
The longevity revolution is here. Our systems still think we die at 65
Commentary
The longevity revolution is here. Our systems still think we die at 65
By Ken DychtwaldApril 23, 2026
1 day ago
A group of users leaked Anthropic's AI model Mythos by reportedly guessing where it was located
Cybersecurity
A group of users leaked Anthropic's AI model Mythos by reportedly guessing where it was located
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 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.