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Yahoo To Pay $50 Million, Offer Credit Monitoring For Massive Security Breach (go.com)

Yahoo has agreed to pay $50 million in damages and provide two years of free credit-monitoring services to 200 million people whose email addresses and other personal information were stolen as part of the biggest security breach in history. "The restitution hinges on federal court approval of a settlement filed late Monday in a 2-year-old lawsuit seeking to hold Yahoo accountable for digital burglaries that occurred in 2013 and 2014, but weren't disclosed until 2016," reports ABC News. From the report: Claims for a portion of the $50 million fund can be submitted by any eligible Yahoo accountholder who suffered losses resulting from the security breach. The costs can include such things as identity theft, delayed tax refunds or other problems linked to having had personal information pilfered during the Yahoo break-ins. The fund will compensate Yahoo accountholders at a rate of $25 per hour for time spent dealing with issues triggered by the security breach, according to the preliminary settlement. Those with documented losses can ask for up to 15 hours of lost time, or $375. Those who can't document losses can file claims seeking up to five hours, or $125, for their time spent dealing with the breach. Yahoo accountholders who paid $20 to $50 annually for a premium email account will be eligible for a 25 percent refund.

The free credit monitoring service from AllClear could end up being the most valuable part of the settlement for most accountholders. The lawyers representing the accountholders pegged the retail value of AllClear's credit-monitoring service at $14.95 per month, or about $359 for two years -- but it's unlikely Yahoo will pay that rate. The settlement didn't disclose how much Yahoo had agreed to pay AllClear for covering affected accountholders.

36 comments

  1. $0.25 each? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where do I make my claim?

  2. Re:No security breaches in FEDERAL PRISON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This happed years before the trump administration. Anthem lost 80 million records including SSN and work history.

  3. Re: No security breaches in FEDERAL PRISON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your mother fucks pigs in hell. We do not want to get along with you. You are pushing for class warfare and will bring about the destruction of the United States and western civilization.

  4. RIAA vs People by sit1963nz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A pirated music track is worth thousands of dollars each, you as a person are worth $0.25

    What a joke.
    I would suggest that people go copyright their lives, then and only then will they have value.

    1. Re: RIAA vs People by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ironically, that is what some people have done with erotic pictures and videos of themselves in order to get websites to take them down.

  5. It's so nice!!! by SirAstral · · Score: 1

    That when the citizens get screwed Uncle Sam makes bank.

    Fines are a curse upon civilization because it does not promote lawful behavior from the rich citizens, wealthy businesses, or the government and its law enforcement agencies.

  6. Credit monitoring 4 years later? by bagofbeans · · Score: 2

    Credit monitoring 4 years later? Wow, sounds valuable.

    1. Re:Credit monitoring 4 years later? by olsmeister · · Score: 5, Funny

      Meh. I already have free credit monitoring from other breaches.

    2. Re:Credit monitoring 4 years later? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Biggest hack of data? What happened to Equifax? They have tons of info on folks....

    3. Re:Credit monitoring 4 years later? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously though, is there a list somewhere of all the data breaches that our offering credit monitoring?

    4. Re:Credit monitoring 4 years later? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And more importantly, have not been fined a single cent in the US.

  7. Re:No security breaches in FEDERAL PRISON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I get that. The point stands.

  8. 25 an hour by bobstreo · · Score: 1

    My lawyers normal fees are $250 an hour.

    And if you take into account my yearly quoted salary divided by the number of hours worked, my pay is a lot more than $25 an hour.

    1. Re: 25 an hour by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Non wealthy people can't afford to directly sue these careless mega corps and have to settle for class action lawsuits that won't even cover the cost of a missed dinner, let alone actual damages.

      If you've got money and time to spare, do us all a favor and wreck these jokers for everything.

  9. Re: No security breaches in FEDERAL PRISON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Haven't you noticed that this shitposting has been ramping up for the past couple of months? It's the Russian trolls, back again to galvanize the moron vote.

  10. Re: No security breaches in FEDERAL PRISON by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's not just the Russians anymore. Almost the whole internet wants to see the USA implode.

    Don't assume anonymous posts taking an hateful social or political view online to be anything but a troll trying manipulate your emotions.

  11. Now you know where Marissa's money went by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right into making sure your ass was none the wiser until it was too fucking late.

    Thank you US Gov't for saying our lives are worth a mere fucking quarter. NOT.

    FUCK YOU MARISSA ANN MEYER for putting this shit on us. TRULY.

  12. The CEO by jd · · Score: 1

    Gets paid something like $50-75 million a year.

    Interesting perspective.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  13. Sure, another company with access to my bank by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It isn't like some shady BS assholes will watch over my finances. No, this is "monitoring". Credit monitoring.

    Credit. Monitoring.

    Fuck this shit.

  14. Worthless Credit Monitoring - Just Send the Cash by BrendaEM · · Score: 1

    Who the hell decided this case?!

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
  15. AllClear is useless by zlexiss · · Score: 1

    I've been on AllClear pretty much continuously since the Target and home Depot breaches. Have had three separate personal incidents in the last years, both taking out credit cards in my name and also bogus charges on my own card.

    Every time AllClear monthly said "no suspicious activity". I have no idea what it'll take to trip their thresholds.

    1. Re:AllClear is useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      me too. the problem with the "monitoring" is that the alerts come about a month after the activity, ample time for someone to wreak havoc with your data before you even know it has happened. the most comprehensive coverage seems to have been that which was offered in the wake of the US Gov's OPM hack, but even that is slow to alert to activity.

  16. Wow, thanks a lot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We were careless and let hackers access all your data but here is a free credit monitoring service because of us you will need it. I would rather see the courts dissolve Yahoo and force a sale and divide up profits to users who were hacked. Let's not forget Marissa Mayer was CEO at the time a former Google employee so there you have it.

  17. a quarter per person involved? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, if they're providing the extra law firms to fight identity theft for 200 million people, that could work.

    captcha: slumps

  18. How credit monitoring is done in Belgium by houghi · · Score: 2

    In Belgium, if you take a credit or a loan or a debitcard or anything similar, it will be mentioned at the National Bank. The only one who has full access to all information is yourself.
    Banks and credit companies have partial access to the information. What they see is the total amount the (potential) monthly payment and if there is a issue with more than 3 payments.
    Nobody else has access to it.

    So if you open e.g. a credit card, what they will do is see your data. Add up the monthly payments already there plus the one it would be if the current card would be maxed out.
    Deduct some fixed things for living and what you said you paid for e.g. rent.

    Some example. Say you earn 1.000 and you pay 500 in rent and have a debit card where the max pay would be 100. Living cost is e.g.350.
    1000-500-100-350=950 That leaves 50 for the other new loan. That would be a card of e.g. 1000. A card of 1500 would be 75 per month (if used) So a 1000 card it is.

    If the company gives you the 1500 and you are unable to pay, the risk is 100% for the bank/credit company.

    So people will unlikely have several cards. It even happens that people who buy a house, will have to close their cards to get the mortgage from the bank.

    And if you did not pay 3 months in a row, it will be mentioned and no loans for the period you ow that loan plus one year.
    I have seen people who forgot to pay 30 EUR and where unable to get a mortgage because of it. That while they earned plenty to easily pay it back, but no bank would dare to touch it, because those people just could say 'I am unable to pay' and there would be very little the bank can do about that, besides asking to please pay.

    I have seen court rulings where people did not had to pay they maxed out 10.000 EUR card because the company fucked up.

    So not only do only credit institutions to see the info (the companies where you get a tv on 0% loan work together with credit companies who handle the credit.) and not e.g. your landlord, but it is directed to keep credits and loans handle it.

    Yes, people loose their jobs and things change. In Belgium we can not look into the future yet.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  19. Can't access my accounts for "security" reasons :( by SinGunner · · Score: 1

    My main account apparently had a less used account as its backup, and since I can't remember the password for that account, I can't access either. So now only hackers can access my oldest internet accounts. Neither has a phone # associated with them. I could access my main account fine until they locked everything down in the security breach. Fuck Yahoo!

  20. Re:Worthless Credit Monitoring - Just Send the Cas by iggymanz · · Score: 1

    that comes to $4 a person. here's your starbucks gift card

  21. Re:Worthless Credit Monitoring - Just Send the Cas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    that comes to $4 a person. here's your starbucks gift card

    50 million dollars / 200 million people =/= 4 dollars / person

    50 million dollars / 200 million people == 0.25 dollars / person

    Of course, some claimants can earn *up to* $125 or *up to* $375, depending on documentation availability. Also there is this, from the article itself:

    "The lawyers representing Yahoo accountholders have a big incentive to get the settlement approved. Yahoo will pay them up to $37.5 million in fees and expenses if it goes through."

    Will that $37.5 million come from the $50 million settlement, or will they pay that on top of it?

  22. Re:Can't access my accounts for "security" reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Back in 2014, I couldn't log in to my account. I had a browser with a valid cookie, so that session was logged in, but I couldn't log in otherwise, and I couldn't change my password, either.

    Their help system told me to request a password reset, which failed, and told me to call a phone number. The phone number had a recorded voice message telling me to ask help on the forums. The forums pointed me to the help system, which... told me to request a password reset. A perfect loop of uselessness.

    Despite having a phone number and two email accounts associated with the account, none could be used to reset the password. So, while I still had access to the account, I deleted everything. Contacts, mail history, briefcase, bookmarks,yahoo group settings, the works. The cupboard was bare.

    Three weeks later, I got an email from a Yahoo engineer telling me that they'd found the problem and reset my account. Three weeks later, the data breach happened. Oddly enough, I never bothered to repopulate my account with any information again.

  23. Still no word on Equifax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too big to fail.

  24. Yahoo acct hacker by RobbieRiddle · · Score: 1

    I did everything not to sue Yahoo after a robbery I had problems the phone numbers and email is no good need an alternative medthod to get into my acct donnetteriddle@yahoo.com my phone number is 3189535954 and another phone is 3182358124 riddlerobbie@yahoo .com would you please get back with me cjecky acct it's old and we have handled it before

  25. Re:Worthless Credit Monitoring - Just Send the Cas by iggymanz · · Score: 1

    doesn't matter, 25 cents or five dollars, only an unemployed slashdot neckbeard living in his mom's basement would waste the time to get either amount of money it's so pathetic

  26. Yahoo still exists? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Today I learned ...

  27. I have am a victim of ongoing ID theft, Ãt th by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what is the price of peice of mind. im scared of this www/internet crap.

  28. Re: I want to go hide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have been a victim of identity theft since then and on going I was not even contacted but yet had 2 yahoo accounts Ãt sa is time Yahoo because à have hér to be contacted...have never felt like this in my life this even was my profession. Now I wont get on here any more. Reluctely. It absolutely terrifys me. Im going back to paper checks and landlines...old check registers.... TY. fÃr your time. and consideration. Good things happen to good people all to often