Marissa Mayer apologizes for Yahoo hacks, blames Russians

[midian182]

The size of the 2013 hack on Yahoo was incredible. After initially announcing that one billion users had been affected, the company later admitted that every one of its 3 billion+ accounts had been compromised, making it one of the biggest tech fails of the last decade. Four years after the incident, former CEO Marissa Mayer has apologized and said the details are still a mystery.

Speaking before the Senate Commerce Committee after being subpoenaed last month—she had previously denied multiple requests to testify—Mayer said: “As you know, Yahoo was the victim of criminal, state-sponsored attacks on its systems, resulting in the theft of certain user information. As CEO, these thefts occurred during my tenure, and I want to sincerely apologize to each and every one of our users.”

“Unfortunately, while all our measures helped Yahoo successfully defend against the barrage of attacks by both private and state-sponsored hackers, Russian agents intruded on our systems and stole our users’ data.”

Mayer stepped down from her position as Yahoo CEO just after the company was acquired by Verizon in June. Last month, it was revealed that every Yahoo account was affected by the 2013 hack. Verizon said it learned the new information after the purchase and disclosed it within a week.

Back in March, the Department of Justice indicted two Russian intelligence agency officers, along with two others, in connection to a 2014 cyberattack on Yahoo that compromised 500 million of its accounts. Mayer has said that she doesn’t know if Russian operatives were also behind the 2013 hack.

Exactly how the attacks were carried out is still unknown. “To this day we have not been able to identify the intrusion that led to this theft,” Mayer said. “We don’t exactly understand how the act was perpetrated. That certainly led to some of the areas where we had gaps of information.” Yahoo did not know about the breaches until US agencies presented it with evidence in November 2016.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/71803-marissa-mayer-apologizes-yahoo-hacks-blames-russians.html

 

[Mister_K]

She is absolutely useless, worst mistake Yahoo has ever made.

Companies grow with your entrepreneurs, not dated middle aged women/men who should be focusing on retiring.

 

[seeprime]

Yahoo has been hacked for years. It also was the worst spam generator out of all the large webmail services. Russian didn't set up Yahoo's terrible security.

 

[MoeJoe]

LMAO

 

[davislane1]

The Russia excuse hasn't worked for anyone. Why does she think it will fly here?

Now you understand why she wasn't up to the task.

 

[dj2017]

When someone breaks into your house, the blame is on the intruder.

When someone breaks into a multi billion company that holds personal information of millions, you blame the company for not taking the security measures it should take. There is no excuse.

 

[kapital98]

She is absolutely useless, worst mistake Yahoo has ever made.

Companies grow with your entrepreneurs, not dated middle aged women/men who should be focusing on retiring.

Mayer was in her mid-30's when taking over Yahoo and considered 'the next big thing'. Yahoo took the exact advice your advocating and they didn't benefit.

Tbf to Mayer, there is almost nothing she could have done to save Yahoo and Yahoo's investment fund destroyed whatever possibility the core tech part of the company had left.

 

[senketsu]

She apologizes and walks away...............with a 23 million dollar severance package.

 

[sdms96825]

"Exactly how the attacks were carried out is still unknown. “To this day we have not been able to identify the intrusion that led to this theft,” Mayer said. “We don’t exactly understand how the act was perpetrated. That certainly led to some of the areas where we had gaps of information.” Yahoo did not know about the breaches until US agencies presented it with evidence in November 2016."

So, how does she know it was done by "the Russians"??

 

[SillyCon]

She apologizes and walks away...............with a 23 million dollar severance package.

This is wrong. Her severance including stock is almost $260 million.

 

[wiyosaya]

If they have not figured out how the attack was done, how can she possible identify anyone as a culprit?

Simple answer is she cannot, and it seems that for some reason, she either is playing cover her behind, or thinks her audience lacks basic intelligence.

 

[mailpup]

When someone breaks into your house, the blame is on the intruder.

That's true but if someone breaks into your house and you left the door open or unlocked, are you totally blameless in today's world?

When someone breaks into a multi billion company that holds personal information of millions, you blame the company for not taking the security measures it should take. There is no excuse.

While this is also true, that someone who breaks in still shoulders the primary blame.

 

[Athlonite]

"Exactly how the attacks were carried out is still unknown. “To this day we have not been able to identify the intrusion that led to this theft,” Mayer said. “We don’t exactly understand how the act was perpetrated. That certainly led to some of the areas where we had gaps of information.” Yahoo did not know about the breaches until US agencies presented it with evidence in November 2016."

So, how does she know it was done by "the Russians"??

Precisely it could have been the Chinese or Ukrainians or Aliens for all she knows

 

[dj2017]

That's true but if someone breaks into your house and you left the door open or unlocked, are you totally blameless in today's world?
While this is also true, that someone who breaks in still shoulders the primary blame.

If I left open my door still the biggest blame goes to the intruder.
And yes in the case of Yahoo, it's the opposite. The biggest blame is on yahoo or any multi billion company holding sensitive information.

The difference is that in my house there are only my personal belongings and no one expects from me to have Fort Knox as a house. On the other hand a multi billion company like Yahoo is holding other people's personal information and also a multi billion company holding that amount of personal information it is expected to invest as much money as it can to be a Fort Knox in any way you look at it.

In this case, double standards do apply.

 

[senketsu]

This is wrong. Her severance including stock is almost $260 million.

No it is right. The stock she holds is worth $260 million. She had that before, she'll have it when she leaves. Just to see her behind go through the door, Yahoo is paying her $23 million, that is severance pay.

 

[commanderasus]

 

[Camikazi]

She apologizes and walks away...............with a 23 million dollar severance package.

This is wrong. Her severance including stock is almost $260 million.

Man, $260 million for pretty much destroying a company, I wish I was less ethical.