Microsoft Buys LinkedIn for $26.2 Billion

[Cigar]

LinkedIn has a new status update: The business social network has been acquired by Microsoft for $26.2 billion in a cash deal announced this morning.

Microsoft will pay $196 a share to purchase LinkedIn, a professional social network with more than 400 million members around the world, according to terms of the deal announced by both companies.

"The LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered on connecting the world’s professionals," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement. "Together we can accelerate the growth of LinkedIn, as well as Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as we seek to empower every person and organization on the planet."

The transaction is expected to be complete by the end of this year. Microsoft's statement said the company plans to retain Jeff Weiner as CEO of LinkedIn and added the social network will continue to operate as an independent brand. Reid Hoffman, chairman, co-founder and the controlling shareholder of LinkedIn also approved the sale, according to the statement.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/mic...ry?id=39814217


Hope they don't F'ck it up

[waltky]

Russian hacker is arrested in Prague for LinkedIn hacks...

Four years after LinkedIn hacks, a Russian hacker is arrested in Prague
Thursday 20th October, 2016 - Four years after a hacker compromised 100 million LinkedIn accounts, a 29-year-old Russian man believed to be involved in the 2012 criminal hacking was detained by Czech police in a central Prague hotel. Police spokesperson David Schön said the arrest was not announced immediately for tactical reasons.

An international warrant had been issued by Interpol and FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) coordinated with Czech and Interpol for the arrest. A statement from Czech police spokesperson suggests a Russian-born hacker named Yevgeniy N was arrested on the same day in response to Interpol request but officially the name has not been released yet. The 2012-breach compromised over 100 million user data. Following the announcement of the arrest, in a statement LinkedIn Corp said, “Following the 2012 breach of LinkedIn member information, we have remained actively involved with the FBI's case to pursue those responsible. We are thankful for the hard work and dedication of the FBI in its efforts to locate and capture the parties believed to be responsible for this criminal activity."

However, Andrei Kolmakov, a spokesperson of Russian embassy in Prague insisted the detainee to be handed over to Russia. He also added that the embassy had been notified about the arrest. But Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitri S Peskov denied having any information on the matter. Czech police although have left it to the court to decide if the suspect is to be extradited to the United States. The incident comes in the wake of WikiLeaks and DCLeaks.com leaking emails of U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The director of U.S. national intelligence said in a statement that Russian officials were intending to alter the U.S. election. But the arrested man in Prague is not linked to the ‘email hacks.’ Yet reports suggest that Prague has been the hub for Russian hackers for some time now.

Jakub Janda, the deputy director of the European Values Think-Tank in Prague said, “The arrest served as confirmation that the Czech Republic is so far considered a safe base for Russian intelligence and influence activities focused on Western targets.” “Prague is unofficially considered to be a springboard for some Kremlin activities inside Europe, also using huge Russian diplomatic presence of approximately 140 staff. Western governments are waking up and finally considering hostile Russian intelligence and disinformation operations to be an open and urgent threat, even at the level of the U.S. administration. Open arrests of hostile individuals such as this one can serve as a deterrent element,” Janda added.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...sted-in-prague

[waltky]

China uses fake LinkedIn accounts to recruit spies...

China uses fake LinkedIn accounts to recruit spies
Sun, Sep 02, 2018 - ‘SUPER AGGRESSIVE’: The US’ top spy catcher said the campaign includes contacting thousands of US citizens. German and British authorities had previously sounded warnings

Chinese espionage agencies are using fake LinkedIn accounts to try to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets, and the company should shut them down, US National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina said. Evanina, the US’ top spy catcher, told reporters in an interview that intelligence and law enforcement officials have told LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft Corp, about China’s “super aggressive” efforts on the Web site. The Chinese campaign includes contacting thousands of LinkedIn members at a time, Evanina said, declining to say how many fake accounts US intelligence had discovered, how many US citizens might have been contacted and how much success China has had in the recruitment drive. German and British authorities have previously warned their citizens that Beijing is using LinkedIn to try to recruit them as spies, but this is the first time a US official has publicly discussed the challenge in the US and indicated that it is a bigger problem than previously known.


LinkedIn should look at copying the response of Twitter, Google and Facebook, which have all purged fake accounts allegedly linked to Iranian and Russian intelligence agencies, Evanina said. “I saw that Twitter is canceling, I don’t know, millions of fake accounts, and our request would be that maybe LinkedIn could go ahead and be part of that,” he said. It is unusual for a senior US intelligence official to single out a US-owned firm by name and publicly recommend that it take action. LinkedIn has said it has 575 million users in more than 200 counties and territories, including more than 150 million US accounts. However, Evanina did not say whether he was frustrated by LinkedIn’s response or whether he believes it has done enough.


LinkedIn head of trust and safety Paul Rockwell confirmed that the company had been talking with US law enforcement agencies about Chinese espionage efforts. Earlier this month, LinkedIn said that it had taken down “less than 40” fake accounts whose users were attempting to contact LinkedIn members associated with unidentified political organizations. Rockwell did not say whether those were Chinese accounts. “We are doing everything we can to identify and stop this activity,” Rockwell said. Rockwell declined to provide numbers of fake accounts associated with Chinese intelligence agencies. He said the company takes “very prompt action to restrict accounts and mitigate and stop any essential damage that can happen,” but gave no details.


LinkedIn “is a victim here,” Evanina said. “I think the cautionary tale ... is: ‘You are going to be like Facebook. Do you want to be where Facebook was this past spring with congressional testimony, right?’” he said, referring to lawmakers questioning Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Russia’s use of the platform to meddle in the 2016 US presidential elections. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputed Evanina’s allegations. “We do not know what evidence the relevant US officials you cite have to reach this conclusion. What they say is complete nonsense and has ulterior motives,” the ministry said in a statement. However, US Senator Mark Warner said that Beijing’s exploitation of LinkedIn “demonstrates the length to which Chinese intelligence will go.”


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../02/2003699667