Earlier this month, news outlets reported that 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords were posted on a hacker website. Although it appears that no e-mail login information associated with the passwords were posted and there have been no reports of unauthorized access to any member’s account, the breach exposed one of the most popular websites on the Internet to an outside attack and underscored the critical importance of information security. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network 161 million professionals around the world as of March 31, 2012. With a high concentration of corporate executives and senior management, the security fail has led many people to consider changing their password or removing personal information (e.g., home address, date of birth, telephone number) stored on this site.
Members whose accounts were decoded were notified, had their passwords invalidated and instructed to change their passwords in order to regain access to the site. Prior to the breach, LinkedIn has upgraded its information security processes by adding an additional layer of protection known as “salting.”
LinkedIn passwords are easy to change. In order to change your password, you need to log into Settings. Mouse over your name in the upper right hand corner of your screen. Select Settings from the menu that appears. Then choose “Change Password” from the right hand column.
It is advisable to change passwords every few months and to use different passwords for different websites. It is also important to create a strong password for account, one that includes a combination of letters, numbers, and other special characters. Finally, beware of spam and phishing emails that ask you to confirm your login information or provide any personal information.
Be sure to visit Scott Robarge LinkedIn profile at: www.linkedin.com/in/scottrobarge
