As you probably know by now, LinkedIn has had a pretty big security fail. Anything can be hacked, but to be hacked because you are using old technology? Unacceptable. In addition, we recently learned that LinkedIn used its iPhone app to take calendar information from users (a violation of Apple’s terms of service never mind user privacy.)
Change your password now
LinkedIn will be sending emails to all accounts it believes were hacked, but to my mind, even if you don’t get such an email, you should change your LinkedIn password. It is always possible that more accounts were hacked than LinkedIn knows about, and it never hurts to change your password. Don’t wait, change your password now.
Create strong and different passwords
It is also important to have different passwords for different accounts. No doubt it is tempting to use the same password for everything, but if you do, and one account is hacked, you could be offering an easy entrance to all of your other accounts to hackers. The passwords you choose should use a combination of numbers, letters and characters. If you prefer, you can use a password generator, along with software to help you remember those passwords. I came across a good article on the different generators and I commend it to you. (Hat tip to Alan Jacobs for suggesting I write a blog post mentioning this issue.)
How to change Linkedin password
Whenever I want to change something on LinkedIn I have to look around, so I thought I would provide instructions on how to change your password.
1. Hover your mouse over your name on the top right of the screen. Scroll down to and click on Settings.
2. You will need to confirm your current username and password.
3. Look towards the left side of the screen, under your picture and email address. You will see the word Password and a link for Change. Click on the Change link.
4. Enter your old password. Enter your new password twice. Click on Change password.
5. Remember. Pick a good password with a combination of numbers, letters and characters.