LinkedIn adds new verification tool to ensure security across the internet

7 hours ago 11

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Primakov)

"Verified on LinkedIn" feature is being expanded
Other sites, such as Adobe's Content Authenticity and Behance can now display the same badge as well
LinkedIn wants to help combat identity theft and online fraud

LinkedIn is expanding a feature designed to combat one of the biggest problems in online business - identity theft and authenticity challenges.

The site is taking its “Verified on LinkedIn” feature even further, extending the verification system beyond its platform.

External sites, such as Adobe’s Content Authenticity app and Behance, can now integrate LinkedIn verification as well, allowing creators to display the “Verified on LinkedIn” badge on their profiles, too.

Host of new threats

Identity theft and social engineering are one of the biggest methods of cybercrime today.

Major criminal organizations, including state-sponsored groups such as North Korean actors Lazarus, often create fake accounts on LinkedIn and use them to target high-profile individuals such as CEOs, software developers, or government employees.

In fact, one of the biggest crypto thefts happened after Lazarus created a fake recruiter profile on LinkedIn and a fake job, and invited a blockchain developer for an interview. During the interview process, the developer was dropped a piece of malware, which enabled the theft of roughly $600 million in different tokens.

This attack campaign has been ongoing for months, with cybersecurity researchers dubbing it Operation DreamJob.

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Other groups have followed suit, on both sides. Besides creating fake recruiter profiles and fake jobs, they would also create fake software developer personas, landing jobs at major companies and using privileged access to steal sensitive data.

“Verified on LinkedIn” was originally launched in April 2023, initially as a free verification system that allows users to confirm their identity, workplace, or education, using government-issued IDs, work email addresses, or third-party services such as CLEAR, or Microsoft Entra. LinkedIn users that verify their identities get a badge added to their profile page, showing other platform users that the person is authentic.

A year later, the company expanded this feature to include recruiter verification, as well, in an attempt to combat job-related scams. Verified recruiters receive a checkmark badge on their profiles, as well.

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Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.

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