Skip to main content

LinkedIn provides update on data breach and security tips for members

russia blocks linkedin app linkedinhq
Image used with permission by copyright holder
LinkedIn is providing fresh information on its security issues and the steps it has taken to protect its members. The social network sent out a group email earlier today addressing the data breach that saw millions of passwords leaked to the internet last week.

Upon learning of the leak, LinkedIn states that it invalidated the passwords at risk. It had already been confirmed that the breach itself took place in 2012 and reportedly saw 167 million LinkedIn account records hacked.

The career-oriented platform in its statement added that the accounts that were targeted were all created prior to the 2012 breach, and that no passwords have been reset since then.

The statement also detailed the extent of the information that was stolen. According to LinkedIn the data included email addresses and member IDs — the latter are a form of internal identifier assigned to each account.

The initial criticism directed toward the company centered on its weak password protection tools, in particular the fact that the data was not salted. In response, LinkedIn claims that it now uses salted hashes to store passwords. It also indicated that it offers an added form of protection in the form of its dual-factor authentication option.

“We are using automated tools to attempt to identify and block any suspicious activity that might occur on LinkedIn accounts,” reads the email. “We are also actively engaging with law enforcement authorities.”

In a prior update, the platform claimed that it had demanded that third parties put a stop to leaking its password data, and that it would pursue legal action if they failed to comply.

For those still worried about account security, LinkedIn’s chief information security officer, Cory Scott, has the following words of advice: “We encourage our members to visit our safety center to learn about enabling two-step verification, and to use strong passwords in order to keep their accounts as safe as possible.”

Editors' Recommendations

Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
Twitter to impose dark mode as it’s ‘better in every way,’ Elon Musk says
A white X on a black background, which could be Twitter's new logo.

If you tend to use Twitter in light mode, then prepare for things to change.

The microblogging platform, which is in the process of rebranding to “X” under the orders of new owner Elon Musk, looks set to ditch light mode, leaving you with only one: dark.

Read more
WhatsApp now lets you add short video messages to chats
WhatsApp logo on a phone.

You can now send short video messages in a WhatsApp chat, Meta announced on Thursday.

A video message can last for up to 60 seconds long and is protected with end-to-end encryption.

Read more
Musk shows off new X sign on top of San Francisco HQ, but the city’s not happy
The new X sign replacing the Twitter logo on the company's headquarters in San Francisco.

Soon after Elon Musk tweeted a drone video showing a new white light in the shape of an X atop the company’s headquarters in San Francisco on Friday, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the city had decided to launch in investigation over concerns that the sign's installation may have broken rules.

The X logo is replacing the iconic Twitter bird as Musk continues efforts to rebrand the social media platform that he acquired in October.

Read more