In 2021, LinkedIn faced a significant incident where attackers scraped data from hundreds of millions of public profiles and later sold the information online. The data, which included email addresses, names, and other personal details, was monetized and circulated in hacking circles. LinkedIn responded to the situation by stating that it was a result of data scraping rather than a breach, and they implemented corrective measures and reported the incident to law enforcement.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 126 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data leaked in the incident encompassed email addresses, education levels, genders, geographic locations, job titles, names, and social media profiles.

How was LinkedIn Scraped Data hacked?

The incident, which did not constitute a data breach, involved unauthorized access to LinkedIn's API, allowing the collection of public profile information. The attacker, known as "TomLiner," used this method to gather data on people. In response, LinkedIn implemented corrective measures and reported the incident to law enforcement.

LinkedIn Scraped Data's solution

In response to the data scraping incident, LinkedIn took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future hacking attempts. These actions included implementing corrective measures, cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation, and urging users to be vigilant against suspicious activities.

Additionally, LinkedIn advised users to change their passwords as a precautionary measure. While specific details about the enhanced security protocols were not provided, users were encouraged to protect their accounts with strong, unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and exercise caution with browser extensions and applications.

How do I know if I was affected?

LinkedIn did not explicitly mention reaching out to affected users in the data scraping incident. However, if you are concerned about your data being compromised, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your email address has been involved in any known data breaches.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

• Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached platform. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

• Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached platform and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the LinkedIn Scraped Data data breach, check out the following news articles:

• LinkedIn Data Breach (700M) in 2021

• LinkedIn Data Leak – 3 Years Later, What We Can Do About It

• LinkedIn Data Leak – What We Can Do About It - Scrubbed