Following reports on Wednesday that approximately 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords were posted on a Russian web forum, LinkedIn has confirmed that some passwords have been hacked and is advising users to change their passwords immediately.
As with any case of a computer hack, the primary concern is that the hacker can use the password to access other important information, such as email or bank accounts, social security numbers, and credit card information.
While LinkedIn is taking measures to handle this security breach, such as invalidating account passwords that have been compromised and emailing those users on how to reset their passwords, all users should change their passwords as a precautionary measure. In situations like this, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry.
Hacks of this magnitude undermine confidence in online security and reaffirm the importance of making secure, unique passwords for all online accounts.
As Representative Mary Bono Mack explained, incidents such as these also emphasizes the need to pass data-protection legislation. “How many times is this going to happen before Congress finally wakes up and takes action?” she said. “More people are becoming antsy about providing their personal information online, and that’s not good for the future.”