iWorld
Olivier Legrand to succeed Hari Krishnan as LinkedIn APAC MD
MUMBAI: LinkedIn has appointed Olivier Legrand as its managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, effective 1 January, 2016.
He will succeed Hari Krishnan, who is incidentally LinkedIn’s first employee in Asia. Krishnan, who has been managing director for the Asia-Pacific region since January 2013, is leaving the company after a stint of six years. Prior to his most recent post, he served as LinkedIn country manager for India from November 2009 to December 2012, Krishnan is slated to join PropertyGuru Group as president and chief business officer.
Krishnan oversaw business in the region that continues to post healthy growth, including a member base that more than doubled to 78+ million (as at Q3 2015) in less than three years. This includes 33+ million in India, 7+ million in Australia and 15+ million in S.E. Asia.
The Asia-Pacific region, home to some 40 per cent of the world’s professionals, is a key growth region for LinkedIn. More than 1,000 LinkedIn employees in 10 offices (across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore) serve members and clients such as Singapore Post, Toshiba, HCL Technologies, Li & Fung and ANZ.
“The Asia-Pacific region continues to be a key economic player in an increasingly connected and digital world where new opportunities emerge every day,” Legrand said. “I am excited about the opportunities for LinkedIn to help our members and clients become even more successful. While LinkedIn has come a long way in the region since establishing our presence here in 2009, there’s still a long runway for growth ahead for us.”
Legrand will have a dual role, continuing to serve as head of marketing solutions for LinkedIn in the region.
Singapore-based Legrand, who joined LinkedIn in 2012 to drive the marketing solutions business in the Asia-Pacific region, is a senior executive with more than a decade of leadership, marketing and business development experience in the region.
Before joining LinkedIn, he was General Manager of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network for Asia.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
