Connecting with people you don't know on LinkedIn, according to research from Intel Security, can help hackers steal your company's data.
Research conducted by Intel Security revealed that the British have allowed hackers to collect information that people do not know.
Intel survey respondents said they accept “friend” requests on LinkedIn from people they don’t know.
“When someone in a similar industry to us, or an advertiser, sends a connection request to LinkedIn, they may seem harmless, but hackers are lurking. Social networking sites are a treasure trove of data that malicious actors use to research potential targets for attacks, not only asking to connect with senior executives, but also with many lower or mid-level employees of a company.
They then target higher-level execs, using their existing connections with colleagues as proof of trustworthiness.
Once those connections are in place, a targeted phishing campaign can be launched.”
Raj Samani said.
According to the FBI, such attacks are on the rise, saying that criminals are sending fake invoices, fake invoices and so on, using accurate but false e-mail addresses.
Most respondents to the survey said that their employer had not informed them about the company's social media policy.
“Businesses should train all staff on how to avoid common scams, and make them aware of the dangers of opening unknown attachments in messages or clicking on unknown links.”
