LinkedIn not only serves as a platform for networking but also career development. In recent times, however, the increase in security breaches has many users concerned. LinkedIn profiles are easy targets for cybercriminals as they consist of your personal information.
So, there is a desperate need to secure your LinkedIn account. But how do you do that? Read this guide to find out.
1. Set a Strong and Unique Password
The first step towards securing your LinkedIn account is to set a strong password, preferably one with 12 or more characters. Don’t make it too obvious or generic. You shouldn’t select passwords, such as ‘Password,’ or number combinations like ‘12345,’ or even sequential keyboard combinations such as ‘qwerty.’
You should also make sure that your password doesn’t contain your name, nickname, the name of a family member or friend, or your date of birth. Don’t use any information that directly or remotely refers to you as your LinkedIn password.
Use a password generator if you can’t think of a unique one. It will help you come up with a strong password.
Use alphabets, numbers, and symbols in your password to make it harder for hackers to crack them and access your account.
2. Enable the Two-Step Verification Feature
Enabling the two-step verification feature is as important as setting a strong password. It can go the extra mile in keeping your LinkedIn account safe. It adds a security layer to your LinkedIn account.
To do this:
- Go to Me > Settings and Privacy.
- Select Sign in and Security.
- Find Two-step Verification and click Turn on.
When you enable this feature, you will receive a security code on your phone via a text message every time you try to access your account. So, even if a hacker gets past your password, he or she must still verify that you are accessing the account.
3. Check for Connected Devices
Under the Accounts section, there is a feature called ‘Where you’re signed in.’ This feature allows you to check for the devices connected to your LinkedIn account. With this, you can see those devices that have access to your account.
You can also see if you are accessing your account from a public place. It also lets you check if an unknown device has access to your LinkedIn account.
If so, then you must disconnect and change your password immediately.
4. Customize Your Public Profile, Protect Your Privacy
Your LinkedIn profile is set to public by default. So, this means your profile is visible to anyone on the platform. Now, some users are annoyed by this. If you are one of them, you can customize your profile to change these default settings.
To do this, you can:
- Select Me > Settings and Privacy.
- Click Visibility.
- Find and select Edit your public profile.
- Turn off your profile’s public visibility under Edit Visibility.
You can also edit your custom LinkedIn profile URL and the visibility of your contents in this section.
5. Don’t Connect Too Many Third-Party Apps
Connecting third-party apps to your LinkedIn account lets you enhance its functionality. However, when connecting such apps to your account, make sure that you read all the details related to the data you would share with them.
Such applications may use your information to create accounts or provide other services.
You should also note that the developer’s terms of use may not allow you to use certain features of such apps when connected with your LinkedIn account.
Remember that when you connect a third-party app with your LinkedIn account, you agree to share certain information about yourself with it. So, don’t connect apps that could compromise your data.
If you want to disconnect an app from your LinkedIn account:
- Open Me > Settings and Privacy.
- Select Data and Privacy > Other Applications on the left-hand menu.
- Click Other Applications.
- Find Permitted Services and click Change.
- Here you will find all the third-party applications connected to your account.
- Click Remove next to the ones that you want to disconnect.
When remove a service, it is disconnected from your account and can no longer access your data.
However, even if you disconnect a third-party application from your LinkedIn account, it may still have access to the data collected before you changed the settings.
6. Manage Your Advertising Preferences
LinkedIn offers targeted ads to those members who have opted for them. You can manage your advertising preferences using the Ad Settings feature. To opt-in or out of ad personalization:
- On your LinkedIn page click Me > Settings & Privacy.
- Click Advertising Data.
- Expand Profile data for personalizing ads. Set to Yes if you want personalized ads on your profile, or No to opt-out.
You can also change a host of settings, such as how LinkedIn collects data for personalized ads using the same tab.
7. Review Your Account and Privacy Settings
Reviewing your privacy settings allows you to secure your account and prevent hackers from gaining access to it.
You can do many things when you review your LinkedIn account. For instance, you can add or change your email address. You can also change how you want to share data with the third-party apps connected to your account.
When you review your account, you can also request LinkedIn archives your data. This can help you in many ways. You will be able to download a copy of your archived LinkedIn data, including all the conversations, posts, and other activities.
Consider archiving your LinkedIn profile at least once every month. That way, you will have access to your data if something goes wrong with your account or if you want to close it.
Keep Your LinkedIn Account Safe
Be sure to know what you are sharing and to whom before you post something. Don’t accept requests from people you don’t know without first checking their background. Restrict access to your profile when you connect with such people.
These are some of the best practices that you can follow to secure your LinkedIn account.