New York, December 13: Yahoo has reportedly laid off around 25% of its employees over the past year. The Yahoo layoffs reportedly affected people from the cybersecurity team called "The Paranoids". The tech company laid off 1,600 employees last year, affecting around 20% of its workforce. The reports suggested that around 40 to 50 individuals would be roughly affected out of a total of 200 people.

The reports said that Yahoo's layoffs, which affected these people, started at the beginning of 2024. They also highlighted that the layoffs affected not only the cybersecurity team but other divisions as well. Yahoo's CTO (Chief Technology Officer), Valeri Liborski, told the staff members about the broader changes to be implemented in the technology division. These would target enterprise productivity and core services. Google Layoffs Coming on New Year 2025? Tech Giant Likely To Terminate Low-Performing Employees in January, Say Reports.

Valeri Liborski said that it was a very difficult decision for him, and he did not take it lightly. Out of all the employees affected by the job cuts, the most significant team was "The Paranoids." They were responsible for work related to cyberattack prevention. The team used to conduct cyberattack simulations and then identify vulnerabilities before any hackers could exploit them. 

The latest move by Yahoo to reduce cybersecurity was the latest in a total of three rounds announced by the tech company. The reports said that Yahoo confirmed layoffs and dissolution of its red team. The company told that the changes were part of ongoing security program evolution. Yahoo spokesperson Brendon Lee addressed that the company's security program matured over the previous seven years and was recognised as a world-class program. Tech Layoffs in 2024: KPMG, Intel, Dell, Luminar and Others Reduce Hundreds of Employees This Year, So Far 1.49 Lakh People Affected.

He said that Yahoo made strategic adjustments, including changing from "offensive security operations" to an outsourced model. He added that the transition would reflect the sophistication of the company's program and help the team focus on the resources needed to address the main security priorities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2024 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).