Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    LinkedIn Hacking Suspect Also Implicated in 2012 Dropbox Breach

    By
    Sean Michael Kerner
    -
    October 24, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      LinkedIn

      The U.S. Department of Justice revealed late Oct. 21 that the individual first apprehended by Czech police on Oct. 5 in connection with the 2012 breach of LinkedIn is actually allegedly responsible for two of the largest breaches of that year.

      When Czech police first publicly disclosed that they had apprehended an individual in connection with the LinkedIn breach, few details were made public and even the name of the arrested individual was withheld. That changed on Oct. 21, with the DOJ publicly unsealing an indictment against 29-year-old Yevgeniy Nikulin.

      According to the indictment, not only did Nikulin breach LinkedIn, but he also breached Dropbox, as well as Formspring, in 2012. The indictment also states Nikulin had two co-conspirators, though neither is formally named by the DOJ.

      “In all, Nikulin is charged with three counts of computer intrusion; two counts of intentional transmission of information, code, or command causing damage to a protected computer; two counts of aggravated identity theft; one count of trafficking in unauthorized access devices; and one count of conspiracy,” the DOJ stated in a release.

      The unsealed indictment also provides new insight into the 2012 attacks. Nikulin’s attacks were spread across several months in 2012, with LinkedIn attacked in March, Dropbox between May and July, and Formspring in June, the indictment states.

      Full details on how Nikulin allegedly breached all three sites are not formally disclosed in the unsealed indictment, though it does indicate that Nikulin gained unauthorized access to a LinkedIn employee’s credentials.

      “Nikulin knowingly transmitted a program, information, code and command to a computer belonging to LinkedIn employee N.B. and thereby caused damage without authorization,” the indictment alleges.

      The Dropbox and LinkedIn breaches had not previously been officially connected as the actions of the same attacker. The Dropbox 2012 breach resurfaced in August 2016, as a listing of stolen usernames and passwords was put up for sale. In total, 68 million passwords were breached in the Dropbox 2012 attack. The 2012 LinkedIn breach also became news again in 2016 as that site’s breached usernames and passwords were offered for sale in May. The LinkedIn breach resulted in 100 million usernames and passwords being at risk.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and contributor to several leading IT business web sites.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×