700 million LinkedIn accounts compromised by data breach

A LinkedIn data breach means that approximately 700 million LinkedIn users could be at risk as their personal data has been leaked. This is around 93% of the platform’s accounts. 

According to the watchdog RestorePrivacy, the data collected by hackers is already up for sale online, which includes: 

• Full names
• Geolocation
• Email address
• Salary
• Professional experience
• Physical address
• Username
• Profile URL
• Gender
• Linked accounts

RestorePrivacy, which has had communication with the seller, received a sample of the personal data and confirmed that it is up-to-date and authentic. 

Login credentials and financial data weren’t part of the breach, which is a relief to users. However, the data that was stolen is still very concerning as it could be exploited. 

For the 700 million people at risk, some of the consequences could be identity theft, phishing attempts, and other online scams, as well as account hacking. 

How to keep your data secure

This is the second major data breach this year for LinkedIn. Earlier this year, there was another huge hack that scraped the data of 500 million users and sold it online.  

For consumers, this highlights the dangers of networks like LinkedIn, especially when large amounts of data can be scraped and sold online. 

Some of the ways you can keep your information safe include: 

• Make sure your passwords are hard to guess. Avoid using sequential numbers or personal details, and always include a special character.
• Sign up for two-factor authentication alerts. This will alter you to signs of identity theft if someone’s signed up for services with your details.
• Always keep track of your sensitive material and make sure physical documents are stored safely and shredded if they’re not needed.
• Don’t leave uncollected mail in your mailbox and contact the company if you don’t receive a letter or bill you’re expecting.
• Keep an eye on your credit report for unexpected activity.
• Don’t respond to requests for personal information by email, text, or over the phone. Always contact the company directly instead.
• Stay safe when using public Wi-Fi by using a firewall and checking your sharing settings.