Yahoo Announces Hack Of 1 Billion Accounts: Time To Change Your Password

Yahoo has been hacked again, and you should probably change your password.

The company announced Wednesday that more than 1 billion user accounts had data stolen from them in August 2013 that included names, email addresses, telephone number, dates of birth, hashed passwords and security questions.

The stolen data did not include credit card numbers, bank account information or clear text passwords, Yahoo said. The statement said the hack is "likely distinct" from the hack announced in September that affected about 500 million accounts.

Law enforcement came to Yahoo in November 2016 with "data files that a third party claimed was Yahoo user data," the Yahoo announcement said, and analysis showed that the data was, indeed, from its users.

"We are notifying potentially affected users and have taken steps to secure their accounts, including requiring users to change their passwords," the statement said.

Verizon, which reached an agreement to buy Yahoo in July, said it is monitoring the situation.

"As we've said all along, we will evaluate the situation as Yahoo continues its investigation," the statement said. "We will review the impact of this new development before reaching any final conclusions."

(Verizon purchased Aol in the summer of 2015; Aol has an ownership stake in Patch.)

So what should you do if you use a Yahoo account?

Yahoo says it is "notifying potentially affected users" and posting additional information on its website. Affected users will get an email that explains what happened.

The email, which you can view here, encourages people to take these steps:

• Change your password and security questions and answers for any other accounts on which you used the same or similar information used for your Yahoo account.
• Review your accounts for suspicious activity.
• Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal information or refer you to a web page asking for personal information.
• Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.

For more information on the hack, click here.

This story will be updated.