Impact & Downstream Threats
This breach carries high risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.
- Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
Breach Intelligence
Executive Summary
In May 2016, LinkedIn had 164 million email addresses and passwords exposed. Originally hacked in 2012, the data remained out of sight until being offered for sale on a dark market site 4 years later. The passwords in the breach were stored as SHA1 hashes without salt, the vast majority of which were quickly cracked in the days following the release of the data.
About LinkedIn
Professional networking platform.
Data Points Exposed
Dark Web Verification
Status: Confirmed
- Dataset containing approximately 77.5M records identified in breach intelligence sources.
- The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.
Recommended Actions
⚠️ Do not assume this is low sensitivity.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Frequently Asked Questions
In May 2012, LinkedIn experienced a data breach that exposed approximately 77.5M records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes fields such as email address, password.
Approximately 77.5M records were affected based on current breach intelligence.
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- A public-facing individual
- A high-profile executive
- A customer of LinkedIn
- Or concerned about credential reuse
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