4 Essential Steps to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Account Security
LinkedIn is a dynamic social platform that allows individuals and businesses to shine. But the question arises: is securing your account worth the effort?
Absolutely! Your LinkedIn profile contains a treasure trove of personal information and data on the web: current and past companies, professional history, colleagues, employees, collaborators, and much more. The risks are real. Sometimes, people even have multiple LinkedIn accounts or pages!
Picture this: like a digital safe, your LinkedIn profile holds fragments of your professional life. Now imagine the consequences if a malicious actor managed to crack that safe. Your data, your confidential messages, and your valuable interactions could vanish. The repercussions could be comparable to a devastating wave sweeping everything in its path.
Here are 4 simple steps to protect your LinkedIn account on the Internet.
1. Build an Unbreakable Shield with a Unique and Strong Password
Like the solid foundation of a fortress, protecting your LinkedIn profile starts with a strong, unique password. Avoid common words, dictionary terms, personal identifiers such as the names of your loved ones, your pets' names, or your birth dates. Think of this password as the master key to your digital kingdom.
Where to start?
Once logged into LinkedIn, go to the top right corner and click on your profile icon. Select "Settings & Privacy" and then click on the "Sign in & security" tab. You'll be able to change your password — a preventive measure against potential fraud.
2. Regularly Check and Test Your Privacy Settings
From time to time, take a look at your LinkedIn account's privacy settings.
How to proceed?
Simply follow the same steps as #1. In the "Sign in & security" tab, you can see the email addresses and phone numbers associated with your profile, as well as active sessions and devices that remember your password.
This check helps identify unauthorized devices that have connected. If found, you can easily disconnect them.
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication to Establish a Superior Protection Wall (2FA)
This is the famous code you receive by text, email, or through an app on your phone. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security.
Quick reminder: This is a security measure that verifies and validates that the person logging in is indeed the right person.
Where to go?
Repeat the steps from #1. Still on LinkedIn, in the "Sign in & security" tab, you can enable two-step verification.
Warning! Prefer app-based authentication on your mobile device to avoid email vulnerabilities and the "SIM Swap" risks associated with text messages.
4. Manage Profile and Network Visibility
You can modify and decide which information or data you want to display on your public profile.
Where to navigate?
When you log into your LinkedIn page, click on the YOU arrow in the top right corner and select "Settings & Privacy." Then click on the "Visibility" tab. Your public profile is the profile that people see through search engines, if they don't have a LinkedIn account or aren't logged in. Depending on what you choose to make visible, the profile can look almost exactly like your regular profile.
You can hide, for example, the "Education" and "Certifications" sections, the details of your work experiences without hiding the experiences themselves, etc. Know that you also have the option to completely disable the "Public visibility of your profile."
Need help or advice? Want additional support? We can help you with our corporate cybersecurity training and establish an action plan!
Here are our 4 recommendations for securing your LinkedIn account.
These four guidelines are essential for strengthening your LinkedIn page online. The platform hosts a wealth of information and data that fraudsters could later exploit. The Internet is like a puzzle. Fraudsters take your data and information scattered across the web and social media and piece them together. Thus, investing a few minutes to configure these settings is investing in the security of your digital presence. Prioritize protecting your LinkedIn profile today!
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