You should probably change your LinkedIn password right this second

Formed some important connections on LinkedIn - ones that aren't just your old uni mates? Been honing your digital CV in a bid to make that ambitious sideways move to a lucrative competitor?

Then for the love of Google, change your password right now - your details might very well be for sale on the dark web.

Back in 2012, LinkedIn declared that it was "the victim of an unauthorised access", with an undisclosed number of account passwords stolen. The professional social network was quick to reset the accounts of those it believed were affected, issuing new passwords to users.

However, Motherboard is reporting that some 117 million passwords and email details - obtained from the 2012 hack - are now on sale on the dark web marketplace The Real Deal for 5 bitcoin (£1,553). 

The hacker, named 'Peace' has told Motherboard that 167 million accounts had been hacked in 2012, with 117 million of those providing both emails and encrypted passwords. 

"Yesterday, we became aware of an additional set of data that had just been released that claims to be email and hashed password combinations of more than 100 million LinkedIn members from that same theft in 2012," LinkedIn's chief information security officer Cory Scott wrote in the company's blog. "We are taking immediate steps to invalidate the passwords of the accounts impacted, and we will contact those members to reset their passwords."

If you're the type to double lock your front door, you're going to want to change your LinkedIn password right now - particularly if it's a password you use for multiple accounts.

With your email and password details, someone could obtain a lot of information about your online life before you notice something is amiss. 

[Via: Motherboard]