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Yahoo Says It Will Notify You If The State Tries To Hack You

By Peter R | Update Date: Dec 24, 2015 03:38 PM EST

Yahoo has informed its users that it would warn them of any state-sponsored hacks in the future through notifications. This comes just days after Twitter informed select users that their accounts have been targeted earlier in December.

PC Magazine reports Yahoo's Chief Information Security Officer stating that Yahoo asked its users to take measures including password changes and two-step verification process if they receive the notification. Though it advised users to exercise caution when they receive such notifications, Yahoo also mentioned that the notification does not imply the accounts have been hacked.

"It's important to note that if you receive one of these notifications, it does not necessarily mean that your account has been compromised. Rather, we strongly suspect that you may have been a target of an attack, and want to encourage you to take steps to secure your online presence. In addition, these warnings to our users do not indicate that Yahoo's internal systems have been compromised in any way," Yahoo's Bob Lord wrote in a blog post.

Yahoo did not elaborate how it determines the identity of hackers claiming it cannot reveal its detection methods. It also asked users to take security measures outside of Yahoo services by upgrading antivirus and avoiding phishing mails.

Several other internet and tech majors including Facebook and Google have adopted the practice of informing users if they get targeted. Business Insider reports Twitter informing its users in December about being the target of government-backed attacks. Like Yahoo, Twitter too maintained in its email that receipt of communication of state-sponsored hack does not imply information has been compromised.

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