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According to techcrunch.com and other outlets, hackers hit the network back in 2012 and posted about 6.5 million encrypted LinkedIn passwords on a Russian forum.
Techcrunch, citing a report by motherboard.vice.com, a hacker is now trying to sell 117 million LinkedIn members’ emails and passwords in a massive data dump on a “dark web illegal marketplace.”
According to a statement posted by LinkedIn itself, it had responded to the initial hack by including a mandatory password reset for all accounts that it believed had been compromised.
It said it also advised members to change their passwords as “a matter of best practice.”
The service said that it has recently been made aware of another dump from the 2012 hack and is taking steps to “invalidate the passwords of the accounts impacted.”
It also said that it would be contacting those members to reset their passwords.
Techcrunch said that -- although it's probably a good idea to change their passwords anyway -- LinkedIn users should only be concerned if they had an account in 2012 when the hack was first discovered, have changed their passwords since then, or have reused their LinkedIn password on other websites.
LinkedIn said it had no reason to believe that this was a “new security breach.”
Saying it takes the “safety and security” of its members’ accounts seriously, LinkedIn further stated that it had “hashed and salted” every password in its database and is offering protection tools such as “email challenges and duel factor authentication.”
It “encourage” users to visit its online safety center to learn about its “two-step verification process” and to use strong passwords in order to “keep their accounts as safe as possible.”
LinkedIn says it does not provide over-the-phone support.
If you call their customer service number (1-650-687-3555), you will be directed to a help website, www.linkedin.com/help, where you can find instructions for changing your password.
To read the techcrunch.com story, click here.
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