Just heard on the news that Linkedin are advising members to change their passwords, especially those that they use across multiple sites.
Apparently up to 6.5 million passwords have been leaked from the site.
You have been warned.
I've been on since 'janet' days (joint academic network) began in Cambridge in the early 1980s and grown with it but now it is becoming a Frankenstein's monster all of a sudden.
Big brother...? all a bit daunting when so many of us use internet for so much!
OK, there's a limit. I just got a 'message' on LinkedIn from a friend from my youth. Problem is that he died at the end of 2009 and sentimental being I am, he remained on my various e-mail address books. I have had Yahoo got at and am now not using it but have kept it to watch what is coming in that might be work related. However the adress book was emptied and this name was not on gmail so number one suspect for dodgy security can only be orange. Whatever and however it is happening our address books, our passwords and other data are getting into wrong hands.
I agree Brian. It all seems to be getting a little too easy for the hackers but I suppose we're all so used to communicating via PCs etc now that we'll carry on signing up for these things.
Thanks Val, I might just start buying postage stamps, envelopes and writing to people again at this rate.
And it has just been reported that eHarmony.co.uk has also been hacked involving they are estimating 1.5 million passwords.
Yes, Suzanne and Andrew, here it all goes... Andrew reminded me that there are also several thousand complaints about bills for upgrading when people did not ask for it, but they appear to be keeping quiet about that one and I found it in something like Washington Post online a couple of weeks ago.
Not making it better am I?
interesting, I just changed mine - no problem. My hubby went to change his and they have sent him a new password email to his email address to confirm the change before he can access his account - looks like he was one of the leaked ones then :(
Interesting Brian, I had a request, legitimate in my line of work, for freindship this morning, replied but have just also changed my password. Like you I question the need/validity of Linkin - I've had one paying job from it in several years membership (I don't pay, just the basic one, I won't pay for any of them!) and that client turned out to be a real nightmare and it took over 6 months to get payment out of him. In 6 years freelancing I've only had 2 such cases, both French clients when the vast majority are elsewhere in Europe (never a problem from Italian clients incidently!). I think I may just pull the plug on my Linkin page too. SFN is all I really need for fun, and Facebook keeps me up to date on what old friends, family and people locally are doing.
Thanks Brian, good advice.
Finn Skovgaard and I were exchanging e-mails last night about a 'friend' of mine trying to link with him but it was, naturally, a scam. Plus the word is that somebody gave all the passwords to some crook or other in Russia. I have had several messages back from friends who are friends in the sense we have worked 'together' for decades about them becoming friends without being asked, and in fact they were not asked or asked for by me. There are also several thousand complaints about people not being able to cancel their 'contract'/membership because the instructions LinkedIn are giving do not work. Finn asked me if I had had a notification when he asked for me taken off his list (which I do not belong on for professional reasons), I had not then and still have not had it.
In short, LinkedIn is leaky and even if we change our passwords, is it safe? I'm thinking about pulling out and was going to immediately last night until my daughters made me forget. But this has reminded me and I am thinking about it.
Ask Finn for further opinion if you wish guys, he says he is staying in but he also has good advice and if it is as porous as it looks right now he might even jump too.
cheers Nick ;-)