SECURE YOUR LINKEDIN ACCOUNT

Protect your professional identity and network.

Your LinkedIn account contains your professional identity, connections, messages, work history and potentially sensitive career information. Protect the account as carefully as you protect your email.

Start with sign-in security.

LinkedIn recommends enabling two-factor authentication, and its current security controls allow you to review active sessions, email addresses, phone numbers and connected services.

Because LinkedIn is also a professional networking platform, review your privacy and profile visibility settings so you are not sharing more personal information than necessary.

What should I never share?
Never give anyone your LinkedIn password, two-factor verification code or authentication approval. Be especially cautious of people claiming to represent LinkedIn, recruiters or employers who ask for security credentials.
Why is LinkedIn account security important?
A compromised LinkedIn account can expose private messages, connections, professional information and your identity to impersonation or social-engineering attempts.
LINKEDIN ACCOUNT SECURITY

Protect access, identity and professional information.

Work through these checks one at a time. After each important change, use the VERIFY section to confirm that the protection is actually active.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Add another layer of protection so a stolen LinkedIn password is less likely to be enough to access your account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Sign in to your LinkedIn account.
  2. Click your Me icon and select Settings & Privacy.
  3. Select Sign in & security.
  4. Find Two-factor authentication.
  5. Select Set up or the available option to enable two-factor authentication.
  6. Choose Authenticator App where available. LinkedIn recommends an authenticator app as its preferred 2FA method.
  7. Follow LinkedIn's instructions to connect your authenticator app.
  8. Enter the verification code generated by the authenticator app.
  9. Complete the setup and save any recovery information LinkedIn provides.

VERIFY: Return to Two-factor authentication and confirm that your chosen 2FA method is enabled.

Use an authenticator app instead of SMS when possible

LinkedIn supports SMS and authenticator-app verification. An authenticator app is LinkedIn's preferred 2FA method.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Sign in & security.
  3. Open Two-factor authentication.
  4. Select the option to change your verification methodif necessary.
  5. Choose Authenticator App.
  6. Install a reputable authenticator app on your trusted device if you do not already use one.
  7. Follow LinkedIn's instructions to scan or enter the setup key.
  8. Enter the generated verification code to complete setup.

VERIFY: Confirm that LinkedIn lists the authenticator app as your active two-factor authentication method.

Use a strong, unique password

Your LinkedIn password protects your professional identity, messages, connections and account information.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Sign in & security.
  3. Select Change password.
  4. Enter your current password when LinkedIn asks for it.
  5. Create a strong password that you do not use on another important account.
  6. Avoid passwords based on easily guessed personal information.
  7. Store the password securely, preferably in a reputable password manager.
  8. Where available, consider requiring all devices to sign in with the new password.

VERIFY: Confirm that the new password works and that your active sessions are still ones you recognize.

Review where you're signed in

LinkedIn lets you review active sessions, including device, browser, location and other sign-in information.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Click your Me icon.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy.
  3. Select Sign in & security.
  4. Open Where you're signed in.
  5. Review every active session shown.
  6. Check the device, browser, location and last sign-ininformation where available.
  7. If you recognize a session and still use it, no action may be necessary.
  8. If you do not recognize a session, select Sign out.
  9. If you discover suspicious activity, change your password as well.

VERIFY: Review Where you're signed in again and confirm that every remaining session belongs to you.

Review your email addresses

Your LinkedIn email addresses can be used for sign-in, notifications and account recovery, so keep them current and under your control.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Sign in & security.
  3. Under Account access, open Email addresses.
  4. Review every email address associated with your LinkedIn account.
  5. Confirm that each address belongs to you and that you can access it.
  6. If you need another recovery option, choose Add email address.
  7. Verify the new email address using LinkedIn's verification process.
  8. If appropriate, choose Make primary for your preferred verified email address.
  9. Remove an email address that you no longer control when LinkedIn provides that option.

VERIFY: Confirm that your primary email and any additional email addresses are current, verified and under your control.

Review your phone number

A phone number can be used for account verification and two-factor authentication, so it should remain under your control.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Sign in & security.
  3. Find the section for Phone numbers or mobile numbers.
  4. Review the phone number associated with your account.
  5. Confirm that the number belongs to you and that you still control the SIM.
  6. Add a current number if your existing number is outdated and LinkedIn provides the option.
  7. Remove an old number when it is no longer needed and LinkedIn allows you to do so.

VERIFY: Confirm that the phone number LinkedIn can use for verification is current and controlled by you.

Review connected applications and services

Third-party applications and services can connect to LinkedIn and may receive access to account information or functionality.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Review Account preferences and the available connected-services settings.
  3. Look for Partners & services or other connected application controls.
  4. Review the third-party services connected to your LinkedIn account.
  5. Identify applications you no longer use or do not recognize.
  6. Review the access provided before removing a connection.
  7. Remove unnecessary or unfamiliar connected serviceswhere LinkedIn provides that option.

VERIFY: Confirm that the remaining connected applications and services are ones you recognize and still need.

Control who can see your email address

Your LinkedIn profile can expose information that helps people contact or identify you, so review the visibility of your email address.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Visibility.
  3. Find Who can see or download your email address.
  4. Review the audience currently selected.
  5. Choose Only visible to me if you want the most restrictive available visibility.
  6. Review whether other LinkedIn members can download your email address.
  7. Save or confirm the setting if LinkedIn asks you to do so.

VERIFY: Review the email-visibility setting again and confirm that it matches the level of exposure you intended.

Review your profile visibility and privacy

LinkedIn is designed for professional networking, but you should still control what personal information is publicly visible.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Settings & Privacy.
  2. Select Visibility.
  3. Review who can see your profile and network.
  4. Review your profile viewing options.
  5. Review whether people outside LinkedIn can see your public profile.
  6. Review whether your connections can see information you prefer to keep less exposed.
  7. Adjust settings that reveal more personal information than you need to share.

VERIFY: View your profile as a visitor where LinkedIn provides the option and confirm that the information visible is what you intended to expose.

Review sign-in verification alerts

LinkedIn can send security emails or prompts when a new device or browser attempts to access your account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Make sure the email address connected to your LinkedIn account is secure.
  2. Pay attention to unexpected LinkedIn security emails.
  3. If you receive a sign-in alert that you did not initiate, do not ignore it.
  4. Open LinkedIn directly through a trusted route rather than using a suspicious link in the message.
  5. Review Where you're signed in.
  6. If necessary, change your password and sign out unfamiliar sessions.
  7. Confirm that two-factor authentication is enabled.

VERIFY: Unexpected sign-in alerts should result in a review of your active sessions and security settings before you continue normal activity.

Protect your LinkedIn messages from scams

LinkedIn messages can be used for phishing, fake job offers, investment scams and impersonation attempts.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Be cautious when an unknown person asks for money, passwords, verification codes or personal documents.
  2. Treat urgent job offers or investment opportunities with unusual payment requests as suspicious.
  3. Do not click an unexpected login or verification link simply because it appears to come from LinkedIn.
  4. Check the sender's profile, message and request before responding.
  5. Never give your LinkedIn password or verification codeto another person.
  6. If a message appears fraudulent, use LinkedIn's available report and block controls.
  7. Verify important professional requests through an independent trusted channel.

VERIFY: Before acting on an important LinkedIn request, verify the person, organization and request through a trusted channel.

Secure your account after suspicious activity

If someone may have accessed your LinkedIn account, act quickly and review your password, sessions, email addresses, phone number and 2FA.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Stop sending sensitive information while you investigate.
  2. Open Settings & Privacy directly.
  3. Change your password.
  4. Where available, require all devices to sign in with the new password.
  5. Review Where you're signed in.
  6. Sign out of unrecognized sessions.
  7. Review your email addresses and phone numbers.
  8. Confirm that two-factor authentication is enabled.
  9. Review connected applications and services.
  10. Report the suspicious activity to LinkedIn if appropriate.

VERIFY: Do not return to normal account use until your password, active sessions, contact information and two-factor authentication are under your control.

Something does not look right?

If you find an unfamiliar login, changed recovery information, unexpected security alerts or another sign that someone may have accessed your account, stop the normal security check and move to the recovery process.

I think my account is compromised →
Still need help?

If you have worked through the relevant settings and something still looks wrong, do not give your security secrets to someone promising to fix the account. Use the service's official support and recovery resources for service-specific account problems.

For broader cybersecurity problems, you can also use the professional assistance pathway on this platform.

Need Professional Help? →
Linkedin security is not a one-time task.

Review important account settings periodically, especially after a password change, device change, suspicious message or unexpected login alert.

VERIFY BEFORE YOU TRUST.

← Back to Secure Your Accounts