DETROIT – Cyber security is a big concern for all of us these days. Almost everyone is on some sort of social media website. LinkedIn is one of the top professional networking sites in the world with 433 million members.
LinkedIn first reported a data breach in 2012, and said if affected 6.5 million passwords. Now, LinkedIn confirms the passwords of 117 million members were breached. The new number came to light when Forbes magazine reported hackers were trying to sell the passwords for $2,000 on the dark web.
The good news for LinkedIn members, the company says there's no indication of a new breach. The site says it's working to alert any members who may be affected.
A Local 4 producer is among those who received a notification. It said in part, "We've recently noticed a potential risk to your LinkedIn account coming from outside LinkedIn. Just to be safe, you'll need to reset your password next time you log in."
Since the breach first occurred four years ago, it's likely many members have already changed their passwords. If not, you might consider changing your's just to be on the safe side, even if LinkedIn doesn't contacted you.
What can you do to stay safe?
There are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself against hackers. The first is to keep changing your passwords every few months. If your password ever falls into the wrong hands, it will quickly become outdated before hackers can do any damage.
Other suggestions:
1) Use strong passwords. That means a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers. Avoid the obvious passwords like "1-2-3-4" or your birthdate. Use part of song lyrics only you'll remember.
2) Use separate passwords for social sites and your financial accounts.
3) Be very careful about signing into any accounts while on unsecured public WiFi.
4) Be diligent with software updates on your computer and keep all your firewalls and anti-virus software up to date.
5) Some security experts recommend putting tape over the camera in your computer, so if a hacker gains access he cannot see what's going on in your home.
6) Delete any emails from unknown senders. Don't open them. Don't click on any links. And, be suspicious of emails that seem to be from friends, but feature a suspicious subject line.
7) Turn off your WiFi when you're not using it to prevent your device from joining any strange networks.
Help Me Hank contacted LinkedIn and they offered these sites to help you stay safe
www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin
www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/safety