Why is LinkedIn asking me to reset my password?

If you recently received an email from LinkedIn asking you to reset your password, there are a few possible reasons why this might have happened.

You May Have Been Part of a Data Breach

One possibility is that your LinkedIn account information was part of a data breach. Over the years, LinkedIn has been the target of several high-profile data breaches that exposed millions of user emails and passwords. The most notable LinkedIn breaches include:

When a breach occurs, hackers gain access to usernames, email addresses, passwords, and other account details that can then be sold on the dark web or used in phishing and credential stuffing attacks. LinkedIn responds to data breaches by invalidating the exposed passwords and requiring affected users to reset their passwords to protect accounts.

So if your LinkedIn password was leaked in a breach like this, LinkedIn’s automated security systems may have detected your password being used maliciously and prompted you to reset it. This doesn’t necessarily mean your specific account was compromised, but LinkedIn is asking you to reset your password as a preventative measure.

Suspicious Activity or Failed Login Attempts

Another trigger for LinkedIn to ask you to reset your password is if they detect suspicious activity associated with your account. For example, if there are multiple failed login attempts from an unrecognized device or IP address, LinkedIn may lock your account and require a password reset before you can access it again.

This is a security measure intended to protect your account in case an unauthorized person is trying to gain access. By forcing a password reset, LinkedIn ensures any strange login activity is halted and the account is secured with a new password that only the rightful owner will know.

You Have Not Changed Your Password in a Long Time

For improved security, many online services like LinkedIn recommend periodically changing your password. If you have kept the same LinkedIn password for several years, LinkedIn may prompt you to reset it simply as a security best practice so you don’t have the same password indefinitely.

Regular password resets make it harder for unauthorized users to access your accounts, even if they have old password information. LinkedIn’s system looks for accounts with unchanged passwords older than a certain threshold and asks those users to reset, just to maintain extra protection.

You’re Due for Periodic Password Reset

Similarly, LinkedIn may periodically force password resets for all users after a certain amount of time passes, like every 90 days or 6 months. This is another common security protocol to proactively protect accounts by preventing password information from remaining static and susceptible to compromise over long periods.

If you receive a LinkedIn password reset notice out of the blue, with no suspicious activity on your account, chances are it’s simply time for your regularly scheduled mandatory password refresh.

You Logged in on a New Device or Browser

LinkedIn may also require a password reset if you log in on a device or browser that you have not used to access your LinkedIn account before. This is triggered when LinkedIn’s systems do not recognize the hardware or software you are attempting to login from.

For example, if you typically log into your LinkedIn account on your personal laptop but then try to login from a new work computer for the first time, LinkedIn may see this as an unusual activity pattern for your account and prompt for a password reset. This is to verify it is really you trying to access your account on the new device.

You Updated Your LinkedIn Email Address

If you recently changed the email associated with your LinkedIn account, this may also trigger a password reset requirement. Email is often used as the primary account identification, so LinkedIn wants you to confirm you are the account owner by resetting the password when the account email is changed.

Essentially, LinkedIn sees a change in email as a significant account modification, so for security reasons they mandate resetting your existing password when your email is updated.

Suspected Compromised Password

LinkedIn may ask you to reset your password if their security systems detect your specific password has potentially been compromised elsewhere online. For example, if your LinkedIn password appears in a data dump from another website breach, LinkedIn will preemptively require you to change it.

LinkedIn maintains databases of credentials that have been exposed in known breaches and checks member passwords against those databases. If your password surfaces, you’ll be prompted to reset it as a protective measure, even if there are no signs your LinkedIn account itself was abused.

You Have Not Logged in in a Long Time

If you have an old, inactive LinkedIn account that you have not logged into for an extended period of time, LinkedIn may require a password reset when you finally try to login again. This is simply to confirm your identity and validate that the account has not been compromised while inactive.

Essentially, if a long time passes without you accessing your account, LinkedIn will want to re-verify it’s really you trying to login again by forcing a fresh password reset.

LinkedIn’s Password Policy Changed

LinkedIn periodically reviews and updates their password security policies to align with best practices. If you have a very old password that no longer meets LinkedIn’s length, complexity, or composition requirements, you will be prompted to reset it the next time you login so that your password adheres to the latest password rules.

For example, if LinkedIn now requires a minimum 12 character password but your password is only 8 characters, you will be forced to create a longer, stronger password when you next try to access your account.

You Have Hit LinkedIn’s Password Reset Limit

To prevent abuse, LinkedIn limits the number of password resets that can be performed within a certain time period. The exact reset limit is not publicly disclosed, but if you try to reset your password too many times in a short timeframe, LinkedIn will lock your account and require verification before allowing additional resets.

If you received a notice about hitting LinkedIn’s password reset limit, you will need to follow the instructions they provide to unlock your account before you can change your password again.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a variety of reasons LinkedIn may require you to reset your password. The most common triggers are data breaches, suspicious login attempts, old/inactive accounts, password policy changes, and hitting reset rate limits. But in general, when LinkedIn asks you to reset your password, it is for your protection and account security.

While password resets can be annoying and disruptive, they are an important defense mechanism that protects your account in the event your password is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised. By regularly resetting passwords, LinkedIn ensures your account stays safe from unauthorized access.