What happened in the LinkedIn data breach?
Twingate Team
•
Mar 7, 2024
In 2023, LinkedIn experienced a significant security incident where data from millions of its users was compromised. This breach was particularly alarming due to LinkedIn's role as a leading professional networking platform. The incident involved unauthorized scraping of LinkedIn user data, which was then made available for sale online.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach affected data from approximately 19.7 million LinkedIn accounts.
What type of data was leaked?
The data scraped and leaked included a variety of personal information such as email addresses, genders, geographic locations, job titles, names, professional skills, and social media profiles.
How was LinkedIn hacked?
The LinkedIn data was obtained through scraping techniques rather than a direct hack into the company's systems. Scraping involves using automated tools to collect publicly accessible information from a website. Although scraping data from public profiles does not require breaking into secure databases, it still represents a significant privacy concern, especially when done without user consent.
LinkedIn’s solution
Following the discovery of the breach, LinkedIn undertook measures to enhance the security and privacy protections for its users. This included working to identify and block the scraping activity, improving the platform's ability to detect and prevent unauthorized data scraping in the future, and educating users about securing their accounts. LinkedIn also likely cooperated with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to address the incident.
How do I know if I was affected?
LinkedIn may have informed users whose data was implicated in the breach. Users can also use HaveIBeenPwned to check if their information was part of this or other data breaches.
What should affected users do?
If your data was part of the LinkedIn scrape, consider the following precautions:
Review LinkedIn Privacy Settings: Ensure your privacy settings are configured to minimize the amount of information publicly accessible on your profile.
Change Passwords: Regularly update your LinkedIn password and use a unique, strong password not shared with other accounts.
Be Alert for Phishing: Be wary of unsolicited emails or messages that attempt to use the breached data for phishing or scams.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your LinkedIn and associated email accounts for any unusual activity.
For more detailed support, users are advised to contact LinkedIn's help center directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
For further details on the LinkedIn data breach and for guidance on protecting your online presence, please refer to the following resources:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the LinkedIn data breach?
Twingate Team
•
Mar 7, 2024
In 2023, LinkedIn experienced a significant security incident where data from millions of its users was compromised. This breach was particularly alarming due to LinkedIn's role as a leading professional networking platform. The incident involved unauthorized scraping of LinkedIn user data, which was then made available for sale online.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach affected data from approximately 19.7 million LinkedIn accounts.
What type of data was leaked?
The data scraped and leaked included a variety of personal information such as email addresses, genders, geographic locations, job titles, names, professional skills, and social media profiles.
How was LinkedIn hacked?
The LinkedIn data was obtained through scraping techniques rather than a direct hack into the company's systems. Scraping involves using automated tools to collect publicly accessible information from a website. Although scraping data from public profiles does not require breaking into secure databases, it still represents a significant privacy concern, especially when done without user consent.
LinkedIn’s solution
Following the discovery of the breach, LinkedIn undertook measures to enhance the security and privacy protections for its users. This included working to identify and block the scraping activity, improving the platform's ability to detect and prevent unauthorized data scraping in the future, and educating users about securing their accounts. LinkedIn also likely cooperated with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to address the incident.
How do I know if I was affected?
LinkedIn may have informed users whose data was implicated in the breach. Users can also use HaveIBeenPwned to check if their information was part of this or other data breaches.
What should affected users do?
If your data was part of the LinkedIn scrape, consider the following precautions:
Review LinkedIn Privacy Settings: Ensure your privacy settings are configured to minimize the amount of information publicly accessible on your profile.
Change Passwords: Regularly update your LinkedIn password and use a unique, strong password not shared with other accounts.
Be Alert for Phishing: Be wary of unsolicited emails or messages that attempt to use the breached data for phishing or scams.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your LinkedIn and associated email accounts for any unusual activity.
For more detailed support, users are advised to contact LinkedIn's help center directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
For further details on the LinkedIn data breach and for guidance on protecting your online presence, please refer to the following resources:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the LinkedIn data breach?
Twingate Team
•
Mar 7, 2024
In 2023, LinkedIn experienced a significant security incident where data from millions of its users was compromised. This breach was particularly alarming due to LinkedIn's role as a leading professional networking platform. The incident involved unauthorized scraping of LinkedIn user data, which was then made available for sale online.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach affected data from approximately 19.7 million LinkedIn accounts.
What type of data was leaked?
The data scraped and leaked included a variety of personal information such as email addresses, genders, geographic locations, job titles, names, professional skills, and social media profiles.
How was LinkedIn hacked?
The LinkedIn data was obtained through scraping techniques rather than a direct hack into the company's systems. Scraping involves using automated tools to collect publicly accessible information from a website. Although scraping data from public profiles does not require breaking into secure databases, it still represents a significant privacy concern, especially when done without user consent.
LinkedIn’s solution
Following the discovery of the breach, LinkedIn undertook measures to enhance the security and privacy protections for its users. This included working to identify and block the scraping activity, improving the platform's ability to detect and prevent unauthorized data scraping in the future, and educating users about securing their accounts. LinkedIn also likely cooperated with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to address the incident.
How do I know if I was affected?
LinkedIn may have informed users whose data was implicated in the breach. Users can also use HaveIBeenPwned to check if their information was part of this or other data breaches.
What should affected users do?
If your data was part of the LinkedIn scrape, consider the following precautions:
Review LinkedIn Privacy Settings: Ensure your privacy settings are configured to minimize the amount of information publicly accessible on your profile.
Change Passwords: Regularly update your LinkedIn password and use a unique, strong password not shared with other accounts.
Be Alert for Phishing: Be wary of unsolicited emails or messages that attempt to use the breached data for phishing or scams.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your LinkedIn and associated email accounts for any unusual activity.
For more detailed support, users are advised to contact LinkedIn's help center directly.
Where can I go to learn more?
For further details on the LinkedIn data breach and for guidance on protecting your online presence, please refer to the following resources: