How To Secure Your LinkedIn Account
When Reid Hoffman came up with the idea of LinkedIn back in 2002, he envisioned it as a platform that would allow professionals to establish contacts and network amongst each other. To say that he expected it to be as popular as it is right now would be quite a stretch, since the platform is today being used to evaluate a job seeker’s qualifications for a particular role, and to also advertise any available job posts.
LinkedIn Provides Great Exposure
Choosing to have a LinkedIn account means you’re going to have to submit a lot of personal information to that site; some of which you’d like to be very selective about the kind of people you’d like to know. Things such as the schools you went to, the grades you achieved and the positions you might have held at previous levels of employment offer a lot of background information about yourself, and is the kind of information that you’d only want a potential employer to have. If that kind of info ends up in the wrong hands, then it can become quite easy to impersonate you, and you’d become a victim of identity theft.
On the other hand, since LinkedIn happens to be a social media platform, its use is outlawed in a number of countries. This means if you happen to be in such a country and you’d want to check the status of your online application made via LinkedIn, things would be very difficult.
Most disturbingly though, a 2012 LinkedIn breach allowed a hacker to steal over 6.5 million LinkedIn password!
LinkedIn and VPN
Fortunately, through the use of a credible VPN service, you’d be able to access the platform regardless of wherever you are, and you’ll also be able to encrypt your connection and prevent your account from getting hacked.
Using a VPN will not only allow you to securely access your LinkedIn account, but it’ll also grant you access to sites, channels and websites whose content is otherwise restricted to users based outside the country. You’ll also gain complete anonymity whenever you’re online, meaning your security and privacy will be maintained at all times. Your online transactions will also be secure since nobody will be able to hack your device to steal your passwords or secure keys.
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The Best VPNS for LinkedIn
Having decided that a VPN service is the best option to turn to, choosing one particular service to work for you might sometimes be a daunting task. This is because of the many options available online, including those that offer their services for free. A word of caution to anyone that’s thinking about subscribing to the free services: they normally sell your browsing history to third parties so as to maintain their ‘free’ service. This means you’re not really protected since there will be individuals who will get to know what you’re up to online.
To help you out in your search, we’ve compiled a brief review of 5 reliable service providers who we’re sure will be able to offer great service. Here are the 5 best VPNs for LinkedIn:
1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN for LinkedIn
Few providers come close to the level of service you’ll get to enjoy from ExpressVPN. With their customer service known to be the most reliable and professional, ExpressVPN customers are sure to have all their issues sorted out immediately after contacting their customer care desk. Their servers ensure that users are able to enjoy a reliable, super fast connection speed, coupled with both unlimited bandwidth and unlimited server switching options. Subscribing to them means you’ll have no instance of your browsing history recorded, as they have a strict no-logging history. You’ll also have the option to connect three other devices to the service, all under one account, and since the provider has apps that can work on Windows, Android, iOS and Mac software, you’ll have nothing to worry about in terms of compatibility. With ExpressVPN, you’ll have 30 days to get a taste of their service, afterwhich you’re expected to choose from either of their 3 packages during subscription.
2. IPVanish
Favoured by technologically advanced users, IPVanish is one provider whose reputation is well respected within the VPN market. The service is known for providing reliable connections especially for gamers and users who need to constantly download large files from the Internet. They’ve got around 1000+ servers in more than 60 countries, all well set up and ready to encrypt your connection. They’re also known for having quite a large number of virtual IP addresses for their users to choose from. Online security is guaranteed courtesy of their 256-bit AES encryption, and users will only be able to sample their service by signing up for their 7-day money back guarantee.
3. VyprVPN
VyprVPN is one of the most reliable VPN services in the market today, and the fact that they directly own their servers does a lot to inspire confidence among its users. Their server network is also quite impressive, with a network of over 700 servers located all over the world. Features such as unlimited data, unlimited bandwidth and server switching come as standard, and help make it even easier to tweak your connection.
4. NordVPN
As one of the many services meant to ensure your connection to the Internet remains encrypted, NordVPN employs techniques that you can’t really find being adopted by other VPN services. One such feature is double encryption, where one user’s connection is shared between two servers, thus making it even easier to track down whatever they’re up to online. Users who are fond of heavy downloads and torrenting will also be glad to know that NordVPN offers dedicated servers to facilitate such use. On top of all that, NordVPN subscribers also have the option to connect upto 5 more devices simultaneously under the same connection.
5. HideMyAss
Closing off our list we have HideMyAss VPN, a service that has a decent 940+ servers scattered across more than 190 countries all over the world. VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP and PPTP are employed to ensure your connection runs smooth, alongside a 256-bit AES encryption. The only issues that have been raised by most users is the fact that their customer service team is not always as responsive when subscribers have a problem, and their server speeds are also not the fastest in the market. Aside from those two issues, HideMyAss is still poised to help you securely access your LinkedIn account without any other drawbacks.
How to Secure Your LinkedIn Account – Conclusion
Most of us will agree that social media takes a sizable chunk of our time while online; and with LinkedIn being one of the many platforms available, it’s not that bad to hear that someone is always logged on to their account, looking for jobs or constantly improving their profile. The most secure way to do this is through a credible VPN service. This way, you’ll be assured that all your account info remains protected, and you’ll get to control the amount of private information that you’d like to reveal about yourself online.
About Author
Charles
Streaming gadgets geek. Interested in every little thing there is to know about bypassing regional restrictions. An avid believer in the right to protect online privacy. Charles has also reviewed plenty of VPN service providers and knows how to separate the good apples from the bad ones.