Businesses are being warned to protect themselves against a growing threat from scams on LinkedIn, which are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, according to a new report by NordLayer. It found that more than half of US-based firms had experienced at least one scam on LinkedIn this year, with attackers sending fake friend requests and messages carrying suspicious links that steal data or allow malware to be installed. Almost two-thirds of big businesses had been targeted, as had 58% of medium-sized firms and 31% of small businesses. One of the most common scams involved impersonating people working at other big companies.
The results of successful scams can be catastrophic, with businesses fighting to save their reputation, as well as to limit the damage caused by stolen data. To protect themselves, victims typically contacted LinkedIn’s customer support, as well as their own IT and cybersecurity departments. Cybersecurity experts have urged companies to educate employees about the risks, encouraging them to use two-factor authentication and to verify any requests for information. LinkedIn has also moved to improve its own security, recently launching a free verification service for users to help protect against scams.
