In last few years, cyber espionage has taken a new form. A recent investigation by The Times has unveiled a Chinese intelligence officer's extensive use of LinkedIn to target UK officials. Operating under the alias "Robin Zhang," this spy has been luring thousands of officials, scientists, and academics to hand over state secrets and sensitive technology information.

Keeping your social media accounts safe is crucial to keeping your sensitive data protected. In this blog, you’ll learn how to strengthen your accounts by using strong and unique passwords, setting up MFA, adjusting your privacy settings and keeping an eye on your account activity. Continue reading to learn more ways you can secure your social media accounts and the common threats social media accounts face.

Security researchers have identified that a widespread LinkedIn malicious hacking campaign has seen many users locked out of their accounts worldwide. Some users who have had their access to their LinkedIn accounts blocked by the cybercriminals changing their passwords have been pressured into paying a ransom, according to a report from Cyberint, and threatened with permanent account deletion.

New reports show many LinkedIn users have reported complaints about accounts being taken over by bad actors. In a statement from Cyberint researcher Coral Tayar, "Some have even been pressured into paying a ransom to regain control or faced with the permanent deletion of their accounts," The reported complaints are on other social media forum platforms such as Reddit, Microsoft, and X with several users expressing frustration due to the lack of response from their support team.

Social platforms are the current favorite target of cybercriminals, displacing financial institutions, providing cybercriminals with credentials to be used as launch points for further phishing campaigns. Most cyber attacks we read about seem to involve an organization that was attacked because it was perceived to have a lot of money that could be parted with via ransomware, extortion, digital fraud, etc.

In recent weeks, the Cyberint research team has observed an alarming emerging trend – an ongoing and successful hacking campaign is targeting LinkedIn accounts, all following a consistent method. This campaign is currently affecting individuals worldwide, resulting in a significant number of victims losing access to their accounts. Some have even been pressured into paying a ransom to regain control or faced with the permanent deletion of their accounts.

Scammers are taking advantage of Twitter’s rebranding to “X,” according to Stephanie Adlam at Gridinsoft. A phishing campaign is targeting Twitter Blue users by telling them they need to transfer their subscription to X.

In recent years, social media platforms have become invaluable tools for businesses to engage with their customers, reach a wider audience and enhance their brand visibility. From TikTok’s viral challenges to Instagram’s visually appealing content — and the ever-present Twitter and Facebook — these platforms offer unparalleled opportunities for organizations to connect with their target market. However, with great opportunities come great risks.

Unfortunately, Instagram is a common target for malicious hackers. Cybercriminals hack accounts in order to distribute spam, commit phishing attacks against your followers and steal your data. There were more than 1 million social media account takeovers in 2022, and most of the affected accounts were on Instagram.

The latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations report indicates that over 70% of data breaches involved the human element. Cybercriminals exploit people to trick them into clicking unsafe links, opening malicious attachments, entering their credentials into bogus login pages, sharing sensitive data, and authorizing fraudulent fund transfers. One area where many exploits take place is on social media platforms.