Looking for a complete LinkedIn data breaches list? This page answers common searches like "LinkedIn hacked," "LinkedIn breach history," and "list of LinkedIn data breaches" with a verified timeline, record counts, root causes, and step-by-step guidance if you may have been affected.
LinkedIn data breach history: 2012 password hashes and 2021 scraping of 700 million profiles—LinkedIn blurs breach vs. OSINT scraping. BreachHistory indexes 7 verified or attested incidents tied to LinkedIn, spanning 2012–2021. This page is a complete, searchable timeline—not a single event—linking every catalog row with context on scale, root cause, and what users should do when a new LinkedIn notice drops.
Why LinkedIn stays on breach trackers
Global tech brands combine massive user bases, high-value intellectual property, and complex supply chains. Attackers target LinkedIn for credentials, source code, CRM exports, and employee directories. When you read headlines about "LinkedIn hacked," the incident may be a consumer PII leak, a developer artifact exposure, or a third-party SaaS tenant breach—each with different remediation steps.
Data breaches list — LinkedIn
Below are the major incidents in our catalog, newest first. Record counts use company, regulator, or Have I Been Pwned attestation where available; actor-only marketing shows as "Unverified / not disclosed."
- 2021 — data scraping — 700M records (700M+ records)
- 2016 — LinkedIn: What initially seemed to be a theft of 6, 117.0M records (117M+ records)
- 2013 — LinkedIn: A breach that involved keylogging software affected… (2M+ records)
- 2012 — password breach (hashes leaked 2016) (164M+ records)
- 2012 — LinkedIn: Hacker 'dwdm' uploaded a file containing 6, 8.0M records (8M+ records)
- 2012 — LinkedIn: Information about a 2012 data breach has just come… (117M+ records)
- 2012 — LinkedIn — 6.5M passwords (scope later 117M) (6.5M+ records)
Biggest and most consequential incidents
2021 data scraping — 700M records
An attacker used automated scraping to collect data from LinkedIn profiles. A dataset of roughly 700 million users was put up for sale, including full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and other profile data. LinkedIn stated this was scraping of public profile data combined with data from other sources, not a new breach of their systems. Full incident record →
2012 password breach (hashes leaked 2016)
In 2012 LinkedIn suffered a breach where password hashes were stolen. The hashes were SHA-1 without per-user salts. In 2016 a trove of 164 million email and hashed password pairs was put up for sale; many hashes were cracked due to weak hashing. Full incident record →
2016 — LinkedIn: What initially seemed to be a theft of 6, 117.0M records
May 2016. What initially seemed to be a theft of 6.5 million passwords has actually turned out to be a breach of 117 million passwords. Full incident record →
2012 — LinkedIn: Information about a 2012 data breach has just come…
Information about a 2012 data breach has just come to light. Full incident record →
By the numbers (catalog snapshot)
- 7 incidents indexed under LinkedIn on BreachHistory
- 1.1B+ combined attested records across rows with disclosed numerators (many incidents overlap or count emails—not unique people)
- 2021 — year of the largest attested row in our catalog
Patterns in LinkedIn's breach history
- Credential and session theft — Phishing, stuffing, and OAuth token abuse recur across tech platforms.
- Cloud misconfiguration — S3 buckets, misconfigured APIs, and file shares expose data without a traditional "hack."
- Extortion without precise counts — Ransomware and leak-site actors often publish before victims confirm scope.
- Supply-chain spillover — npm, SDK, and CRM tenant breaches affect LinkedIn customers even when corporate HQ databases stay intact.
What to do if you used LinkedIn
- Enable multi-factor authentication on every LinkedIn account and linked SSO identity.
- Check Have I Been Pwned when new LinkedIn headlines appear.
- Rotate passwords that were reused on email, banking, or work SSO.
- Watch for phishing that cites real breach details (order numbers, usernames) to appear legitimate.
- Follow official LinkedIn security communications—not SMS links from unknown numbers.
Related searches
- LinkedIn data breach list
- Has LinkedIn been hacked?
- LinkedIn hack history
- LinkedIn data leak timeline
- How many times has LinkedIn been breached?
- LinkedIn breach records on BreachHistory
FAQ
How many data breaches has LinkedIn had?
BreachHistory indexes 7 verified or attested LinkedIn data breaches spanning 2012–2021. Counts vary when researchers merge scraping, misconfiguration, and ransomware as separate events.
What is the biggest LinkedIn data breach?
The largest attested incident in our catalog is 700M+ records (data scraping — 700M records). See the full timeline for sources and remediation details.
Has LinkedIn been hacked?
Yes — LinkedIn appears on breach trackers with 7 indexed incidents including data scraping — 700M records. This page links every catalog row with primary sources and what users should do if affected.
Does LinkedIn send data breach notifications?
Regulated markets require consumer notices for many PII events. Not every source-code or scraping story triggers email alerts—read each incident row for notification status.
Explore every LinkedIn incident on BreachHistory
Browse the full catalog: LinkedIn breach records
Compiled from BreachHistory data/breaches.json and primary sources linked on each incident page. Updated 2026-06-15.