Yahoo tells security critics to chillax regarding its email recycling program
So much for trying to be nice. Yahoo's latest bid to lift itself from the tech also-ran swamp with an email recycling initiative has been criticized for potential security threats to dormant users. To try and calm down the pitchfork-wielding crowd, the company has released a statement describing various security measures that will be taken to insure past users' data and security--but they may not cover all the bases.
A June 12 tumblr post unveiled Yahoo's plan to make available inactive, but succinctly-named Yahoo accounts. The company holds nearly two decades worth of accounts and their associated emails. Over the years, many of these users have moved on from the ecosystem forcing newer, active users to settle for an unintelligible email address like albert9330399@yahoo.com as opposed to albert@yahoo.com.
The primary concern is that with a little research into dormant Yahoo accounts, crafty identity thieves could use associated email addresses to access bank accounts, social media, and other online portals.
