Aol email hacked 2017

The nostalgia!

In 2017, AOL (America Online) announced that it had suffered a data breach, which affected approximately 617,000 email accounts. The breach occurred in 2014, but it wasn't until 2017 that AOL discovered and disclosed the incident.

Here are some key details about the breach:

  1. Type of breach: The breach was a result of a cyberattack on AOL's email system, which allowed hackers to gain unauthorized access to user accounts.
  2. Affected accounts: The breach affected approximately 617,000 AOL email accounts, which were created between 2012 and 2014.
  3. Stolen data: The hackers stole sensitive information, including:
    • Email addresses
    • Passwords (hashed, but not encrypted)
    • Names
    • Birthdates
    • ZIP codes
  4. Notification: AOL notified affected users in August 2017, and offered them free credit monitoring services for one year.
  5. Investigation: AOL worked with law enforcement agencies to investigate the breach and identify the perpetrators.

It's worth noting that AOL was acquired by Verizon in 2015, and the company has since merged with Yahoo! to form Oath, a subsidiary of Verizon. The breach was likely a result of a vulnerability in AOL's email system, which was exploited by hackers.

If you were an AOL email user at the time, it's a good idea to take steps to protect your online identity and financial information. You can also consider changing your passwords and enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts.