Having your LinkedIn account hacked can be a scary and frustrating experience. Your LinkedIn profile contains valuable personal and professional information that you don’t want falling into the wrong hands. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to determine if your account has been compromised and secure it if it has been hacked.
How to tell if your LinkedIn has been hacked
Here are some signs that your LinkedIn may have been hacked:
- You notice posts or messages you didn’t create – If there are statuses, messages, or connection requests sent from your account that you didn’t make, it’s likely your account has been hacked.
- Your profile information has been changed – If your photo, headline, experience, education, contact info etc. has been edited without your knowledge, your account may be compromised.
- You can’t log in – If your password suddenly stops working, it could be because someone changed it after hacking your account.
- You stop receiving notifications – A hacker may have changed your notification settings to hide their activity.
- You see login alerts from unrecognized locations/devices – Check your account settings for login alerts from places you haven’t been or devices you don’t use. This is a telltale sign of account hijacking.
If you notice any of these red flags, take action right away to secure your account.
Steps to take if you think your LinkedIn was hacked
If you suspect your LinkedIn was hacked, here are important steps to take:
- Change your password – Update your password immediately. Make sure it is long and strong.
- Turn on two-factor authentication – Enabling two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring you to enter a code from your mobile phone when logging in.
- Revoke OAuth access to third party apps – Hackers can gain access through connected apps. Revoke OAuth access in your account settings.
- Check settings for unauthorized changes – Review all your account settings carefully for any suspicious changes made by hackers. Update anything that looks unfamiliar.
- Scan devices for malware – Run antivirus scans to check for any malicious software that may have been used to steal your login credentials.
- Contact LinkedIn – Use LinkedIn’s reporting option to notify them your account was compromised. They can take additional steps to secure it.
- Reset your password again – After making account security changes, reset your password one more time.
How to create a strong LinkedIn password
To keep your account secure, it’s important to create a strong password. Here are some tips:
- Make it lengthy – Use the maximum number of characters allowed (at least 12).
- Add capital and lowercase letters – Mixing cases makes passwords harder to crack.
- Include numbers and symbols – Adding numbers, symbols like !@#$%^, etc. increases complexity.
- Avoid personal info – Don’t use names, birthdays or common words as these are easier to guess.
- Try passphrases – Using a series of words joined together also creates a strong password.
- Don’t reuse passwords – Use a unique password just for your LinkedIn account.
It also helps to use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts.
Turning on two-factor authentication for LinkedIn
Two-factor authentication (also called 2FA) provides an extra layer of protection beyond just a password. With LinkedIn, it works like this:
- You enter your username and password as usual.
- You are then prompted to enter a six-digit verification code.
- The code is sent to your mobile phone via text message or an authentication app.
- You must enter the correct code to complete the login process.
Here are step-by-step instructions to activate two-factor authentication on LinkedIn:
- Open LinkedIn and click on your profile picture at the top right.
- Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
- Click the Security tab and select Two-step verification.
- Toggle on the option to Require two-step verification.
- Choose your verification method – text message or authentication app.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete setup.
With 2FA enabled, even if a hacker guesses your password correctly, they still can’t access your account without the verification code on your phone.
How to recover a hacked LinkedIn account
If you find yourself locked out after being hacked, here are steps to recover and restore access to your LinkedIn account:
- Use account recovery options – LinkedIn provides an account recovery process. Click the “Forgot password?” link on the login page to begin.
- Contact LinkedIn support – Report your account has been compromised. Provide proof of ownership for faster restoration.
- Remove unauthorized changes – Once restored, delete anything the hacker added like job entries, education, skills etc.
- Reset your password – Make sure to change your password to lock out the hacker entirely.
- Reconnect with your network – Let your connections know your account was hacked in case they noticed any suspicious activity.
The key is acting quickly when recovering your account. This limits the amount of damage a hacker can do.
How LinkedIn stores and secures your data
Understanding how LinkedIn protects your information provides peace of mind:
- Login details are encrypted – Encryption scrambles data so it is unreadable without a key.
- Data transmitted is encrypted – Information sent between your device and LinkedIn servers is encrypted.
- Employee access is restricted – Only employees who need data to do their jobs can access it.
- Facilities are secured – LinkedIn data centers are guarded, alarmed, and monitored 24/7.
- Third party assurance – LinkedIn compliance is validated through audits like SOC2 and ISO 27001.
While no security is impenetrable, LinkedIn uses industry best practices to keep your data safe in their systems.
Best practices to securing your LinkedIn account
Here are some top tips to keep hackers out of your LinkedIn profile:
Security Best Practice | Why It Matters |
---|---|
Use a strong unique password | Weak reused passwords are easy for hackers to crack and let them access multiple accounts. |
Enable two-factor authentication | Adding two-factor authentication prevents access without approval from your personal mobile device. |
Revoke third party app permissions | Connected apps could be compromised and provide a backdoor for hackers. |
Be wary of phishing attempts | Don’t click suspicious links that could download malware or capture your login credentials. |
Making your LinkedIn more secure protects your personal brand and professional reputation from being impacted.
What to do if you shared your password before being hacked
If you shared your LinkedIn password with a third party service or app prior to learning your account was compromised, here are important steps to take:
- Change your password immediately – This prevents continued access from entities you previously shared the password with.
- Revoke OAuth authorizations – Go to your account settings and remove any linked third party apps.
- Run anti-malware scans – Check your devices for any potential malware that may have captured your password.
- Enable two-factor authentication – Adding 2FA creates another layer of account security moving forward.
- Monitor account activity – Keep watch for any further suspicious activity and report it to LinkedIn.
Previously sharing your password does make your account more vulnerable to hacking. But taking these steps allows you to regain control and secure your account.
Conclusion
Having your LinkedIn account hacked can be a jarring experience, but there are proactive steps you can take to protect yourself. Be on the lookout for common red flags that indicate a breach. If you do suspect you’ve been compromised, act quickly to change passwords, turn on two-factor authentication, and contact LinkedIn support. With proper vigilance and security best practices, you can detect issues early and minimize the impact to your account.