Following on from reports of compromised LinkedIn accounts, Habari Media, LinkedIn South Africa’s official representative, has compiled a list of account security and privacy best practices to assist users in protecting their profiles. South Africa has 1.8-million LinkedIn users.
“LinkedIn sincerely apologies to their users for the breach and any subsequent inconveniences bought about as a result. As a result of the incident we thought it best to remind users how to optimally ensure their information remains secure by updating their password and reviewing other security best practices,” says Wayne Bischoff, managing director of Habari Media.
One of the best ways to protect your privacy and security online is to craft a strong password, to change it frequently (at least once every few months) and to not use the same password on multiple sites. Remember, no matter what website you’re on, it’s important for you to make sure that you protect your account security and privacy.
Here are some account security and privacy best practices for LinkedIn members:
Changing your password:
- Never change your password by following a link in an email that you did not request, since those links might be compromised and redirect you to the wrong place.
- You can change your password from the LinkedIn Settings page.
- If you don’t remember your password, you can get password help by clicking on the Forgot password? link on the Sign in page.
- In order for passwords to be effective, you should aim to update your online account passwords every few months or at least once a quarter.
Creating a strong password:
- Variety – Don’t use the same password on all the sites you visit.
- Don’t use a word from the dictionary.
- Length – Select strong passwords that can’t easily be guessed with 10 or more characters.
- Think of a meaningful phrase, song or quote and turn it into a complex password using the first letter of each word.
- Complexity – Randomly add capital letters, punctuation or symbols.
- Substitute numbers for letters that look similar (for example, substitute “0″ for “o” or “3″ for “E”.
- Never give your password to others or write it down.
A few other account security and privacy best practices to keep in mind are:
- Sign out of your account after you use a publicly shared computer.
- Manage your account information and privacy settings from the Profile and Account sections of your Settings page.
- Keep your antivirus software up to date.
- Don’t put your email address, address or phone number in your profiles.
