LinkedIn Sued Over Password Breach

LinkedIn faces a class-action data breach lawsuit after hackers leaked more than 6 million passwords from the company’s users on to the Internet.

The suit alleges that the company failed to encrypt the personally identifiable information (such as passwords, email addresses, and login credentials of more than 120 million users, according to Courthouse News. In addition, LinkedIn stored the passwords of its users in “outdated hashing function” that was published by the National Security Agency in 1995, the “unsalted SHA1 hashed format.”

Industry standards require that companies assign a random value to a password, or “salt,” according to the complaint.

“LinkedIn's failure to comply with longstanding industry standard encryption protocols jeopardized its users' PII, and diminished the value of the services provided by defendant - as guaranteed by its own contractual terms," states complaint.

The class action seeks damages for breach of contract, injunctive relief, negligence, and unfair competition.

If you think your information has been compromised due to a data breach, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a consumer fraud lawyer may be able to help you. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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