Why Hackers Love LinkedIn for Social Engineering Attacks

When most people think about LinkedIn, they picture job opportunities, networking, and even business growth. But what many people don’t realize is that LinkedIn has become a favorite tool for cybercriminals.

Hackers love LinkedIn for social engineering because it gives them a gigantic pool of users, with over 92% of businessesthat use LinkedIn. This enables hackers to easily blend in, impersonate executives, and exploit the trust that professionals have in the platform. The ways they trick people aren’t with your typical phishing email. If you or your business isn’t aware of the red flags, one innocent-looking connection request could lead to serious security consequences.

How LinkedIn Fuels Social Engineering

With over 1.2 billion users, LinkedIn has plenty of data that attackers use to create their cyberattacks. Whether you’re an employee or employer, you may have some easily accessible data that attackers use to fuel cyberattacks. This data may include:

• Job titles and responsibilities
• Education and certifications
• Job listings and open roles
• Organizational structure
• List of employees

All of this public data may be necessary to use for networking, landing roles, and hiring. But it also makes it easier for hackers to tailor attacks and increase their chances of a successful one.

Common Attacks: From Fake Jobs to Insider Threats

When hackers are launching cyberattacks, they may pose as either the employee or the employer. Here’s how attackers strike from multiple angles:

Attacks Targeting Employees:

• Posing as a fake recruiter and sending job offers containing malicious links or files
• Fake job listings that require the applicant to install a file for the interview that contains malware
• Posing as a recruiter and asking for sensitive information

Attacks Targeting Employers:

• Creating a fake candidate and applying to remote roles to gain access to internal systems to use maliciously
• Create a spoofed version of a company to trick people into applying and giving them their sensitive data
• Impersonating executives leading to reputational and financial damage

Whether it’s a convincing recruiter message or a perfect employee candidate that ticks all the boxes, social engineering continues to thrive on platforms such as LinkedIn. That’s why being able to recognize the signs is important for individuals and companies alike. Now let’s look at how you can spot these LinkedIn social engineering scams and how to protect yourself.

How to Spot a Social Engineering Attempt

Recognizing the signs of a social engineering attempt on LinkedIn can save you or your organization from a costly cyberattack. Here are some of the most common red flags to look out for:

Red flags for Individuals:

• Too good to be true job offers
• Requests for sensitive information
• Inconsistent language or poor grammar
• Requests to communicate outside LinkedIn immediately

Red flags for companies:

• Job applicants who appear as the “perfect” employee in your recruiting system
• Unusual influx of job applications in a short time
• Fake company pages trying to impersonate your brand
• Odd technical behavior by the candidate during interviews

Recognizing these red flags is key to staying safe on LinkedIn. Whether you’re a company or an individual, staying alert and knowing the signs can help prevent a social engineering attack. Here’s how to move forward wisely.

Staying One Step Ahead of LinkedIn Threats

While LinkedIn is a powerful platform for business and career growth, it’s also a goldmine for social engineering. By understanding how these attacks work and learning to spot the red flags, both individuals and companies can better defend themselves from being manipulated and breached.

At Kirkham IronTech, we help organizations stay ahead of threats such as social engineering. Using our IronTech Framework, we combine cybersecurity, infrastructure, and governance to help businesses stay secure and maximize return on investment. While we also have a wide range of IT, cybersecurity, and help desk services, including employee training. When it comes to social engineering, employees are the most likely to fall victim to an attack. So we help educate them on cybersecurity best practices and procedures to ensure your organization is protected.

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Call Us: (479) 434-1400 – Get in contact with our expert team.

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