Security Alert – LinkedIn Passwords Compromised

On June 6, 2012, LinkedIn confirmed that their systems were breached and member passwords were stolen. If your LinkedIn password was one of the passwords compromised in this breach you should have already received an email from LinkedIn's Customer Service team. Even if you have not been contacted by LinkedIn, it is still a good idea to proactively change your password.

Important Note: If your LinkedIn password was compromised and you use that same password on other accounts, you should change your password on those accounts as well. Using the same password on multiple accounts is not recommended and not considered a best practice.

As is often the case after these types of breaches, there is likely to be an increase in Phishing attacks related to LinkedIn. Be cautious of emails you may receive indicating your account has been impacted by this breach, which includes a link you need to click on in order to change your password. What you will find, however, is that if you do click on the link you will most likely be taken to a malicious web site. For this reason, additional scrutiny should be placed on any LinkedIn related messages/invites that you receive in the coming weeks. It is recommend that you login to LinkedIn as you normally would and check for messages and invites from there. It is important to note that LinkedIn indicated that the initial email to impacted members, letting them know their password was no longer valid, did not include any links.

Password best practices:

This breach provides a great opportunity to review password best practices.

• Do not use the same password on multiple systems/web sites (public or private), especially when it comes to online banking. The password you use for online banking should not be used anywhere else.
• Make your passwords strong by mixing things up. Use lower and upper case letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Do not use personal information such as your birthday, pet's name, address, etc. in your passwords.
• Change your passwords regularly (e.g., once every 3 months).
• Never share your passwords with others at work or at home.
• Never provide your passwords in an email or unsolicited phone call.
• Do not write your passwords down and keep them near your computer.
• Do not use single words found in a dictionary (English or any other language), as they can be easily guessed.
• Avoid using the "save ID and password" option. If someone were to gain access to your computer, they would be able to login to any system or account for which you saved the ID and password.

Passwords are your first line of defense when it comes to protecting your home computer and your personal information. Use strong passwords that are difficult to guess and protect them as if they were gold.

Tips to help protect you:

Education is your best defense – know what to look for and what to do. To find out more about how to protect yourself from fraud, visit the Privacy & Security Center at www.53.com/Security.

If you need assistance or discover any suspicious online sites, emails, text messages or other fraudulent activity involving your account, please call a Fifth Third Customer Service Professional at 1-800-676-5869. You may also contact us securely via our website 24 hours a day, seven days a week.