Yahoo! strongly recommends that you change your Yahoo! login password if your Yahoo! account has been compromised. We suspect that the people who compromise the security of Yahoo! accounts will use them to send spam. These unwanted messages can be sent to the contacts saved in your Yahoo! account services: Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Mail, and Yahoo! Profiles.
To make it easier to remember passwords, it is common for people to use the same or similar passwords on each system, such as their birthday or the name of their pet or relative. Simple passwords make it easier for others to guess them. Some people use automated programs that run through common words to guess passwords.
If someone gains access to your email account, they can pretend to be you and send mail to your contacts asking them to send you money or divulge other personal information. They can read all of your email, and in the process, discover a lot about your finances if you have electronic statements delivered to your email. Also, if they know your email password, they can try to use it to access your online banking and other accounts. When you use the same password for more than one account, you make it easier for someone to break into all of your accounts.
To make it more difficult for someone to guess your password or prevent them from guessing it, we recommend that you create strong passwords. Doing so helps keep your accounts secure and safe from prying eyes.
Here are some common questions and answers about compromised accounts.
A. For a password to be strong, follow these tips:
- Don’t use the same password for more than one website.
- Don’t use the same password you have used before on this site.
- Avoid using a complete word or name.
- Use at least 7 characters—the more the better but no more than 31 characters.
- Use a combination of characters from each of the following groups:
- Don’t use personal information that someone could easily figure out, and don’t use your Yahoo! ID in any form (reversed, capitalized, doubled, and so forth).
- You can learn more about choosing a strong password by reviewing the information at the Yahoo! Security Center.