LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking sites, with over 300 million users worldwide. It’s a great platform for networking, finding jobs, connecting with colleagues, and building your professional profile. However, like any online account, LinkedIn is also vulnerable to hacking. In this article, we’ll look at how likely it is for someone to hack your LinkedIn account, the ways hackers can gain access, what they can do with a compromised account, and most importantly – how to secure your LinkedIn profile against attacks.
How likely is your LinkedIn account to be hacked?
The good news is – the chances of your LinkedIn being hacked are relatively low, especially when compared to other social media accounts. According to LinkedIn, less than 0.2% of accounts are hacked or compromised in some form annually. This is partly due to LinkedIn’s robust security features like two-factor authentication.
However, hackers are always finding new ways to break into accounts. Here are some factors that can make your LinkedIn profile more vulnerable:
- Weak or reused passwords – If your LinkedIn password is easy to guess or you use it on multiple sites, it’s easier for hackers to compromise your account.
- Lack of two-factor authentication – LinkedIn’s two-step verification adds an extra layer of security by requiring a code from your mobile device to log in. Without it, your account is more exposed.
- Connecting with strangers – Accepting invites from people you don’t know gives hackers a way to send malicious links or content from a compromised account.
- Visiting suspicious third-party apps – Third-party tools that require LinkedIn login credentials can potentially steal them.
- Reusing your work email – If your work email associated with LinkedIn is compromised, it makes your LinkedIn vulnerable too.
- Outdated software and sites – Having outdated software and browsing unsafe sites increases the risk of malware or phishing attempts.
So while LinkedIn hacks are infrequent, they can still happen under the right circumstances. Being cautious and enabling security features can go a long way in keeping your account safe.
How can hackers gain access to LinkedIn accounts?
Now let’s look at the different techniques hackers employ to break into LinkedIn profiles:
Password hacking
This is the most common attack – hackers run stolen password lists through credential stuffing tools that automatically enter credentials into LinkedIn login pages. Some ways passwords get exposed include:
- Data breaches – When a site gets hacked and password lists are leaked online, hackers can try those same credentials on other platforms like LinkedIn.
- Phishing links – Fake login pages are sent via email to steal passwords.
- Malware/keyloggers – Malicious software tracks keystrokes including passwords entered on a device.
- Social engineering – Manipulating users via email or calls to reveal login info.
- Brute force attacks – Software that inputs many password combinations at rapid speeds to break into accounts.
Using strong unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication can prevent unauthorized logins.
Session hijacking
Here hackers take over an active LinkedIn user session to gain control of the account. This can be done via:
- Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks – The hacker inserts themselves into the communication between your device and LinkedIn server to intercept login data.
- Malware – Keylogging malware tracks your activity including LinkedIn session cookies to log in as you.
- Wi-Fi snooping – Unsecured public Wi-Fi networks allow hackers to view web traffic including LinkedIn sessions in plain text.
You can avoid session hijacks by logging out of LinkedIn after use, clearing cookies, using VPNs on public Wi-Fi and keeping antivirus software updated.
Social engineering
Hackers can manipulate LinkedIn users via:
- Phishing emails – Messages pretending to be from LinkedIn asking you to login urgently or reset your password via fake pages that steal credentials.
- Scam accounts – Profiles impersonating recruiters or LinkedIn staff tricking you to share login info or download malware.
- Malicious LinkedIn invites – Requests containing infected files or links to phishing sites.
Being wary of unsolicited emails and messages can prevent falling for social engineering. Also ensure emails are actually from LinkedIn domains and use the LinkedIn app or site directly for any account actions.
Third party apps
Some third party tools request LinkedIn permissions or require you to login with LinkedIn. Malicious apps can steal login credentials or extensive profile data. Be cautious when connecting any third party apps.
What can hackers do with a compromised LinkedIn account?
By gaining access to your LinkedIn profile, here are some things hackers can potentially do:
- Access personal information – Email, phone number, connections, work history, etc. Valuable data for identity theft or targeted social engineering.
- Post spam/malware – Link spam, fake jobs or posts with malicious links to compromise connections.
- Send phishing messages – By posing as a connection, hackers can send phishing attempts and scam messages to your network.
- Access company data – Employees may store proprietary company data, emails, files etc on LinkedIn that can be misused by hackers.
- Post inappropriate/illegal content – Offensive posts or questionable content could damage your reputation.
- Access integrated services – Services like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Recruiter, Campaign Manager etc can be misused.
A hacked LinkedIn account can clearly create professional and reputational damage. But there are steps you can take to secure your account and prevent misuse.
How to protect your LinkedIn account from being hacked
Here are some best practices to lock down your LinkedIn account security:
Use strong unique passwords
– Never reuse your LinkedIn password on other sites. If those accounts are breached, your LinkedIn will be vulnerable too.
– Avoid common passwords like ‘Password123’ or ‘Linkedin123’ that are easy to crack.
– Use random lengthy passwords with upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Consider using a password manager.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
This adds an extra step to logins where you need to enter a code from your mobile device. Activating 2FA prevents unauthorized logins even if hackers have your password.
Be wary of phishing attempts
– Don’t click suspicious links or attachments in emails, messages or posts. Verify the source is legitimate.
– Login directly via the LinkedIn app or website. Avoid accessing your account via links or emails.
– Look for the LinkedIn verified tick on profile pictures to confirm identities.
Revoke account access
– If any unknown sessions or devices show up in your LinkedIn account activity, revoke access immediately.
– Disconnect any suspicious looking third party apps you may have linked.
Analyze your privacy settings
– Set your profile visibility to connections only or customize it. Restrict the information visible to the public.
– Disable content suggestions and notification options you don’t need.
Use secure networks
– Never access LinkedIn from unsecured public Wi-Fi. Use a VPN service to encrypt your web traffic instead.
– Ensure your home Wi-Fi network has a strong encrypted password.
Keep software updated
– Always update your operating systems, antivirus software, browsers and other tools to the latest versions.
– Turn on automatic updates where possible to stay protected from emerging threats.
Conclusion
In summary, the risk of LinkedIn account hacks are low but taking key steps like using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, being cautious of phishing attempts and using secure networks can keep your account locked down tight. Monitor your account activity regularly for unauthorized access. If your account is ever compromised, contact LinkedIn support immediately to recover it and reset your credentials. With good security habits, you can rest easy knowing your valuable LinkedIn presence and connections are protected from hackers.