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Breach of LinkedIn's Lynda.com Affects 55,000

A hacker recently gained access to a Lynda.com database containing user data.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Ever taken a course on LinkedIn's online education site Lynda.com? We have some potentially bad news.

As was reported by ZDNet, a hacker recently gained access to a Lynda.com database containing users' contact information, their learning data, and which courses they have viewed. A spokesperson for the Microsoft-owned company in a statement to PCMag.com confirmed the breach and said LinkedIn has reset the passwords for around 55,000 affected Lynda.com users "as a precautionary measure."

"We're also working to notify approximately 9.5 million Lynda.com users who had learner data, but no protected password information, in the database," the spokesperson added. "We have no evidence that any of this data has been made publicly available and we have taken additional steps to secure Lynda.com accounts."

Lynda.com offers more than 5,000 courses covering software and Web development, design, business, photography, and more. LinkedIn acquired the site in April 2015 for approximately $1.5 billion, according to ZDNet. Then, Microsoft in June acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.

PCMag reviewed Lynda.com in September 2015 and called it an "outstanding resource for video-based, online learning, particularly if multimedia software or coding skills are what you need."

Meanwhile, news of the Lynda.com hack comes after Yahoo last week announced a mega-breach affecting one billion accounts. The Yahoo hack occurred in August 2013 and compromised names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, passwords, and security questions and answers.

Word also spread last week that a hacker breached the US Election Assistance Commission, the agency responsible for certifying voting equipment. Fortunately, that breach reportedly happened after Election Day.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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