Spy Agencies Go Recruiting on LinkedIn

talent-src LinkedIn fake recruiters 2

 F-Secure analysed bogus LinkedIn accounts to discover that they belong to individuals supposedly working for Talent Src (Talent Sources).

MI5 have warned that ‘hostile intelligence services’ are clandestinely targeting Government employees through the popular online CV website. Secret agents working for malign foreign powers, including Russia and China, have created fake profiles on the social networking service to lure unsuspecting victims.

In the elaborate scam, that wouldn’t be out of place in a James Bond novel, enemy spies are using bogus accounts on the website, described as like Facebook but for business professionals, to try and ‘find, connect with, cultivate and recruit’ current and former Government employees. Instead of a trusting civil servant connecting with a potential business partner, they are unwittingly tricked by a foreign agent into exposing a treasure trove of personal details, including pictures, phone numbers, email addresses and information about their work in Whitehall.

Security experts have said that even current members of Britain’s spy agencies, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, have put potentially risky information in LinkedIn profiles. Others on the website work, or were previously employed, in departments which deal with highly-sensitive intelligence such as the Foreign Office, Home Office or Ministry of Defence. Now spy chiefs have launched a crackdown to minimise the threat of enemy agents coaxing out secrets.

In a document sent by email on July 24, MI5 announced a ‘Security Service Espionage Alert’. Containing the MI5 logo, the missive identifies a string of ‘key points’. In July 2009, the new head of MI6 Sir John Sawers’ personal details were plastered over Facebook. These include the warning that ‘Hostile foreign intelligence services are increasingly using LinkedIn to find, connect with and begin cultivation and recruitment of current and former HMG [Her Majesty’s Government] employees.’

It adds: ‘MI5 investigations have identified a large number of HMG employees connected to known hostile foreign intelligence service cover profiles.’
The document, circulated in Whitehall, provides ‘advice to help you protect yourself online and what to do if you think you may have been the subject of an approach.’

LinkedIn, which was founded in December 2002, has more than 364million users in 200-plus countries.
Professor Anthony Glees, of the University of Buckingham’s Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, said last night: ‘An enemy agent who might know he is a spy would be able make deductions from that about what our intelligence agencies are interested in at the moment.
‘What people don’t understand is that social media is used as a tool for intelligence gathering not just by us but by other countries who are hostile to us.' 
Russia, along with China, has been accused of mobilising a huge cyber-spying operation targeting the UK and other nations. Security sources have warned that Moscow and Beijing routinely seek to steal military secrets from government and major defence contractors.

MI5 has repeatedly warned that it is tackling ‘industrial-scale’ cyber-attacks from both hostile countries, terrorists and organised gangs.

In March 2013, NATO’s most senior commander was embroiled in a major security alert after a fake Facebook account was set up in his name by suspected Chinese spies. Senior British military officers and Ministry of Defence staff are understood to have accepted ‘friend requests’ from a bogus account for Nato’s then Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis.
In the mistaken belief they had linked up with the American admiral on social media, they then unwittingly provided a vast trove of personal details. And in July 2009, the new head of MI6 Sir John Sawers’ personal details were plastered over Facebook.

Shortly after being appointed, his own security was breached when his wife posted photographs on Facebook showing him in tight fitting swimming trunks, along with details about where Sir John’s family live and work, and where they spend their holidays. In an embarrassing blunder for MI6, millions of people could have gained access to compromising photographs of Sir John Sawers and his family on the social networking website.

Mail: http://dailym.ai/1FX1CNL
 

« Iran and Saudi Marching To Cyber War!
What Does Facebook Want With AI? »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Our Supplier Directory lists 6,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Gartner insights into How to Select the Right ZTNA offering. Download this FREE report for a limited time only.

The PC Support Group

The PC Support Group

A partnership with The PC Support Group delivers improved productivity, reduced costs and protects your business through exceptional IT, telecoms and cybersecurity services.

CSIRT Panama

CSIRT Panama

CSIRT Panama is the national Computer Incident Response Team for Panama.

Ubisecure

Ubisecure

Ubisecure provide Identity & Access Management solutions.

First National Technology Solutions (FNTS)

First National Technology Solutions (FNTS)

First National Technology Solutions is a leading provider of flexible, customized hosted and remote managed services including IT security and compliance.

CyberPoint

CyberPoint

CyberPoint delivers innovative, leading-edge cyber security products, solutions, and services to customers worldwide.

SIGA

SIGA

SIGA provides cyber security solutions for Industrial Control Systems SCADA systems used in critical infrastructures and industrial processes.

Riverside Research

Riverside Research

Riverside Research is a not-for-profit organization chartered to advance scientific research in areas including Trusted & Resilient Systems.

Sysdig

Sysdig

With Sysdig teams find and prioritize software vulnerabilities, detect and respond to threats, and manage cloud configurations, permissions and compliance.

Wise-Mon

Wise-Mon

Wise-Mon is expert in its field of network monitoring and control. We give solutions to huge organizations with tens of thousands of ports, as well as small companies with one switch.

InFyra

InFyra

InFyra is an IoT & Telecoms specialist consultancy, with extensive global and local experience in business and technology strategy, networks and solutions development.

Sayata Labs

Sayata Labs

Sayata delivers a streamlined solution for processing cyber policies. Increase profitability with an easy and intuitive platform.

Salvador Technologies

Salvador Technologies

Salvador Technologies provides the world’s fastest technology to recover from cyber-attacks.

Silicon Cloud International

Silicon Cloud International

Silicon Cloud is a high performance and secure cloud computing platform for engineering and scientific applications.

LastPass

LastPass

LastPass provides award-winning password and identity management solutions that are convenient, effortless, and easy to manage.

Memcyco

Memcyco

Memcyco is a provider of cutting-edge digital trust technologies to empower brands in combating online brand impersonation fraud, and preventing fraud damages to businesses and their clients.

Cyber Explorers

Cyber Explorers

Cyber Explorers is a fun, free and interactive learning platform for future digital superstars. An exciting addition to UK curriculum delivery or after school activities.

CyberKinetics

CyberKinetics

CyberKinetics specializes in cloud-based services and solutions for federal agencies and commercial clients with compliance mandates.