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Secure Your LinkedIn Account
Published March 23, 2021
Secure Your LinkedIn Account
LinkedIn boasts approximately 740 million users worldwide. This vast network of professionals is great for potential career-boosting connections, but also poses a significant risk for identity theft. Research suggests that LinkedIn users are twice as likely to experience fraud than users of other social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Here’s why:
LinkedIn is designed to share all details of your professional past in attempt to generate connections with similar interests. Your profile freely advertises your birthday, phone number, e-mail address, and other personal information such as the high school and college you attended. These seemingly harmless details are, in reality, opening the door for thieves; you have unknowingly provided them with all the information they need to answer security questions to private accounts (think bank accounts and retirement accounts). A quick Google search reveals your place of birth and high school mascot.
Scammers have also gotten savvy with creating fake connection requests. Perform your due diligence before accepting an invitation from an unknown LinkedIn user, especially if the request is received via e-mail. The invitation link is likely spam if the request shows limited information about the person seeking a connection or if the e-mail was sent from a domain other than LinkedIn’s.
Connecting shopping profiles and other digital accounts to social media is very popular nowadays. The interconnectedness, in theory, creates ease of use across accounts, but it is yet another avenue hackers have manipulated to access personal information. Be cautious when connecting to unknown networks and utilize two-factor authentication or other two-step login processes whenever possible.
In short, here are a few ways to secure your LinkedIn profile:
Share your personal information responsibly.
Always log out of your account, even on your mobile device or frequently used tablet.
Double check unknown connection requests.
Cross examine accounts for signs of fraudulent activity.
Looking for more social media safety tips? Check our article, Protecting Your Identity On Social Media.
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