A rising wave of security breaches is targeting LinkedIn users, leaving many accounts compromised or locked out. Cyberint’s recent report reveals an alarming trend, where attackers exploit weak security measures, resulting in account takeovers or lockouts.
Users have faced difficulties resolving these issues through LinkedIn’s support channels and some have even been coerced into paying ransoms to regain control.
The attackers are believed to employ leaked credentials or brute-force methods to gain unauthorized access to LinkedIn accounts, with even well-protected accounts falling victim to temporary lockouts. LinkedIn’s response time to these incidents has reportedly increased, with a surge in support requests. This surge is mirrored in Google Trends, which records a staggering 5,000% increase in searches related to LinkedIn account hacks and recovery.
Attackers are cunningly manipulating account details by swapping email addresses with ones from the “rambler.ru” service, locking out legitimate users and impeding their recovery efforts. Some victims reported that hackers even enable two-factor authentication after taking control, further complicating the recovery process.
As LinkedIn has become a valuable platform for social engineering, phishing, and scams, compromised accounts present significant risks, potentially leading to large-scale cyber heists. With the introduction of features targeting fake profiles, attackers have shifted towards hijacking existing accounts, making user vigilance paramount. To counter this threat, LinkedIn users are strongly advised to review and enhance their security settings by implementing two-factor authentication and using strong, unique passwords to safeguard their accounts.
