Password cracking

Got notified yesterday that my password had been changed on Linked In. It was done from Senegal.

So I quickly reset the password using my e-mail address and set a new password using the iPhone’s password generator – one of those long impossible to remember passwords that can’t be guessed.

I presumed that the original compromise was because I don’t always use unique passwords so a hack on another site could have allowed them to get into my Linked In account.

But what surprised me was that after I set a new unique password, the person in Senegal managed to change my password again. I can’t work out how they could do this, now I had a unique ultra strong password.

Anyone got any theories?

I have now turned on two factor authentication and that has stopped things (lots of attempts though).

The hacker also changed my profile photo to a woman, and renamed it “Sophia Katherine” and had me in the Army. So don’t be alarmed if you saw my gender change – I have transitioned back 🙂