US: Yahoo hack may change Verizon merger

Recently, Yahoo discovered that at least 500 million of its user accounts had been breached by hackers two years ago, well before Verizon and Yahoo began merger talks.

A few days after Verizon learned of the breach, it is now contending with the ramifications of what is believed to be the largest hack of a single company. Even as Verizon tries to assess the damage at Yahoo and prevent further security intrusions, the scope of the hack and the potential fallout — including the possibility of a costly class-action lawsuit — are inevitably prompting renewed scrutiny of a deal that was intended to transform the telecom behemoth into a digital media powerhouse.

For now, Verizon has given no indication of whether the breach will affect its plans to acquire Yahoo, merely stating it would evaluate the situation “as the investigation continues through the lens of overall Verizon interests, including consumers, customers, shareholders and related communities.”

Full Content: The New York Times

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