A recent report from Check Point Research has revealed an alarming statistic: the Microsoft-owned professional networking platform LinkedIn is impersonated in nearly half of all global phishing attacks.
Common Phishing Tactics on LinkedIn
Scammers deploy their phishing attacks through LinkedIn is when they close in on anyone seeking a new job or career change. While e-mails like “You have 1 new invitation” or “Your profile has been viewed by 63 people” can be authentic, it’s critical to verify the e-mail address it’s sent from to ensure that it’s genuinely from LinkedIn. These impersonators will send e-mails that look identical to the real ones, with links to fake LinkedIn pages that will rip off your information as soon as you click on it.
Another way cybercriminals leverage LinkedIn is by creating fake profiles and messaging people about job opportunities. Once you’re hooked, they’ll either ask for a small payment upfront to process your application (that you’ll never see again) or send you a link to a form you must fill out that’s actually a phishing link in disguise.
LinkedIn’s Security Measures
In response to these threats, LinkedIn is working on developing advanced security features to protect its users. Here are three of the current security features it has already deployed:
1. Suspicious Message Warnings – LinkedIn’s technology can detect and flag potentially inappropriate messages or messages from people who are attempting to lure users off the platform.
2. Profile Verification – This feature allows you to verify your page’s authenticity. By submitting an additional form of ID, you can get a verification badge on your profile, so anyone who looks at it knows you are who you say you are. This is a valuable feature since scammers are always looking for fresh targets and have pages that get shut down quickly, so they don’t often bother keeping information up-to-date.
3. Profile Information – This feature allows you to see the details of a person’s profile to help you determine whether or not to respond to a message, accept a connection request, trust an offer, etc. Under your profile, if you click “More” and select “About this profile” from the drop-down menu, you’ll see information like:
- When the profile was created.
- When the profile was last updated.
- Whether the member has verified a phone number.
- Whether the member has a work e-mail associated with their account.
4. AI-Generated Profile Picture Detection – Scammers will use AI to generate realistic profile pictures of fake people to scam users. Scarily, LinkedIn’s research showed that users were generally unable to visually distinguish real faces from these synthetically generated ones. As a result, LinkedIn partnered with Academia to develop and deploy advanced detection features that allow LinkedIn to detect AI-generated profile pictures and shut down their profiles before they cause problems.
Staying Secure on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn’s security features provide a crucial first line of defense, they should not be your only protection. It’s essential to:
- Verify email senders carefully
- Be cautious of unsolicited job offers or requests for personal information
- Use strong, unique passwords for your LinkedIn account
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Regularly update your privacy settings
Do you use LinkedIn to find jobs, employees or clients? It’s a great resource for business, but it’s important to stay secure. If someone in your organization were to fall for a scam and click a bad link, would your internal security solutions be enough to protect your network?
To assess your vulnerability to phishing attacks and other cyber threats, consider scheduling a Security Risk Assessment.
