• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Jobs
  • Career
    • Cyber Security Training
    • Work from Home
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • Remote Work – Six Ways to Keep Your Data Safe When Working Remotely
  • Field Guide
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Deals
  • News
AskCyberSecurity.com

AskCyberSecurity.com

Cyber Security News & Information

  • Home
  • Data Privacy
    • Gamers
    • Government Cyber Security
      • Legislation
      • Standards
        • What are the risks of computer security?
        • Medical Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Security
    • Data Breaches
    • Scams
    • Malware
  • Software
    • Apps
    • Web Browsers
  • Glossary
    • Cyber Security Acronyms
  • About Ask Cyber Security
    • Authors
    • Contact Us
  • VPN
    • How Do I Know If My VPN is Working?
    • Best Free VPN iPhone
    • Why Use a VPN?
    • NordVPN vs IPVanish
    • Private Internet Access Download
    • Best VPN for Streaming
      • TikTok VPN
    • VPN Porn
    • Computer Security Software – What You Really Need
  • Tutorials
  • ChatGPT
    • Does ChatGPT Save Data?
AskCyber Home » News » News » LinkedIn Data Leak Exposes Millions of Users

LinkedIn Data Leak Exposes Millions of Users

2021-04-08 by Grace Choi

Hong Kong Privacy Watchdog Investigates Yet Another Worldwide Data Privacy Breach

A LinkedIn data leak has exposed the personal data of millions of the platform’s users. Files containing names and contact information for millions of LinkedIn users were found posted for sale on the dark web.

Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data Ada Chung Lai-ling has asked LinkedIn for answers. The agency is trying to find out of any of Hong Kong’s residents are impacted by the stolen information.

LinkedIn Responds

LinkedIn responded to the commissioner by stating that they are performing their own internal investigation. Much like Facebook, the company claims that scraping software is the culprit of this leak. This was corroborated by the honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, Francis Fong Po-kiu, who stated that “internet scrapers were using non-hi-tech software to extract publicly viewable personal data for their own purposes, such as data peddling.”

LinkedIn Data Leak Follows Facebook’s Recent Security Incident

Amidst the scramble for answers regarding Facebook’s recent data security breach, Hong Kong’s security watchdog is still investigating another major networking platform for leaked data found being peddled on a popular hacking site.

LinkedIn’s data leak was addressed by Hong Kong on Wednesday evening, less than a week from Facebook’s recent security debacle, affecting more than 500 million users worldwide in both cases. This has been a busy week for Hong Kong’s privacy commissioner, who had just a day earlier demanded that Facebook notify affected users of what personal data has been leaked.

According to the South China Morning Post, the data found for sale includes names, phone numbers, and workplace details for at least 500 million members, sourcing from LinkedIn as well as other websites and companies.

SEE ALSO LinkedIn Impersonation Scam May Lead to Identity Theft

LinkedIn issued a statement which informed that scraping their members’ data was in violation of their terms of service. This is similar to the statement issued the day before by Facebook’s Product Management Director, Mike Clark.

The Future of Cybersecurity

Recent events return to the public’s attention a concern that has grown over the past two decades regarding internet security: can our current cybersecurity measures adequately combat the exploitative activities carried out by malicious parties (who seem to reliably devise creative new ways to access personal information)? Rising reports of identity theft as well as the nationwide spike in scam calls reinforces doubts that we can.

SEE ALSO LinkedIn Email Scam Steals Login Credentials

The current circulation of humor posts on social media and other platforms regarding these fraudulent calls and third-party surveillance demonstrates the humor-coated defeat that the general population feels regarding internet security.

There appears to be an increasing demand for internet privacy services, but whether our federal or private security entities will meet that demand is yet to be determined.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Asia, LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

We Don't Share or Sell Your Info

Web Browsers

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Google Removes 70 Malicious Browser Add-ons from Chrome Web Store

Firefox 75 Reports Your Browser Settings to Mozilla

Categories

Cyber Security Field Guide

Computer Security While TravelingGet Our Cyber Security Field Guide - Available on Amazon!

Recent Posts

Security Marketing Manager – Remote

Sr. Associate, Cybersecurity Architect – Pfizer

Strategic Customer Success Manager – Cybersecurity – Opportunity for Working Remotely

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

ISU Cybersecurity Leader Job Opening

Cyber Security News

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

… [Read More...] about Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

… [Read More...] about Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

… [Read More...] about IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

… [Read More...] about National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

More Cyber Security News

Tags

amazon Android Apple bitcoin China chrome CISA credit card DarkSide DHS DOJ Equifax Europe Facebook facial recognition FBI Firefox FTC games GDPR Google Government hacker identity theft India iPhone Iran IRS LinkedIn Microsoft North Korea PayPal phishing phishing email ransomware REvil Russia smartphone T-Mobile TikTok tutorial VPN WhatsApp WiFi Windows

Government

CBP Looks to Access Airline Passenger Data

FTC Releases Cyber Threat Video Playlist

Malware Found on US Government Funded Phones

UK NCA Reaches Out to Youth to Deter Cybercrimes

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Newsletter Signup
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Search

Why Use a VPN?

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review

NAVIGATION

  • Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy
  • Gamers
  • Scams
  • Malware

MEMBER NJCCIC

New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell

STAY CONNECTED

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · AskCyberSecurity.com · METRONY, LLC

Go to mobile version