Why Does LinkedIn Ask for Verification?

LinkedIn verification ensures that it's really you accessing your account.

Signing into the LinkedIn professional networking website is usually easy: Enter your email address and password, and click "Sign In." However, LinkedIn will occasionally also require you to answer a security verification challenge. While there's no way to bypass this additional layer of security when it appears, it may help to understand why LinkedIn asks for verification and how to reduce its frequency.

Account Protection

Like other social media sites, LinkedIn is occasionally the target of spammers and hackers. A spammer may access an account repeatedly with automated software in order to send unwanted messages to other users. A hacker may attempt to guess a user's credentials in order to take control of the account. To help maintain your account's security, actions that match the behavior of a malicious user will trigger a verification prompt.

Missing Cookies

If you disable or clear the cookies in your Web browser, you may see a verification prompt when you sign in. You can reduce or eliminate this verification challenge by setting your browser to accept cookies, which help LinkedIn to recognize you. For assistance with your browser's cookie settings, see your browser's Help documentation.

Repeatedly Signing In and Out

If you sign in and out several times a day, LinkedIn may require verification to ensure that you aren't using automated software to access the site. To prevent this problem, LinkedIn recommends that you sign out only at the end of each day.

Types of Verification

LinkedIn uses two types of security verification challenges: the Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart and a first-name prompt. The CAPTCHA requires you to type the numbers and letters you see on the screen to ensure that a human and not a computer program is using the account. The first-name prompt requires you to enter your first name as it appears in LinkedIn to ensure that it is actually you signing in.

Problems With Verification

If you're having trouble reading the letters and numbers in the CAPTCHA challenge, you can click the "Try a Different Image" link to display a new CAPTCHA, or click the speaker icon to use an audio version. If you're having trouble with the first-name prompt, make sure your first name matches the name you use in LinkedIn: Search LinkedIn for your name, click your name to verify your profile, copy your first name and paste it into the first-name prompt text box.

References

• LinkedIn Help Center; Security Verification Prompts

Resources

• LinkedIn Help Center; Account Security and Privacy Best Practices