The Defense Security Service and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warn security clearance holders of the risks of social media. Recently they singled out LinkedIn as the biggest threat to security clearance holders today. Does that mean you need to delete your profile? No. But you need to be cautious. Here are a few tips to help secure your profile.
1. Don’t Post Your Resume
LinkedIn is not the place for your resume. Don’t publish anything there you wouldn’t want repeated back to you by your security officer. Program names, and even specific agencies shouldn’t be on your resume.
2. List Your Employment History Broadly
LinkedIn wants you to include every workplace you’ve been at on the site. If you’re a cleared professional, don’t do this. You simply make yourself a greater intelligence target by sharing more information.
3. Don’t Connect With Anyone You Wouldn’t Recommend
The Defense Security Service suggests not connecting with anyone you wouldn’t vouch for in an interview. Unless you’d be willing to provide a character or professional reference for that person, don’t connect with them.
4. Only Access LinkedIn Via the Platform – Not Via Email
Security firm McAfee puts ‘Invitation to Connect on LinkedIn’ as the most used subject line in spear phishing attacks. DSS recommends you only access LinkedIn by directly visiting the platform.
5. Sell Your Soft Skills
Recruiters are using sites like LinkedIn to verify your soft skills after reviewing your resume. Soft skills are important and hard to convey in your resume. Make your LinkedIn profile a place for employers to confirm how awesome you are by showing off your personality and soft skills.
You can build and maintain an online brand across a variety of platforms, but it comes with risks. The resume detail you post online today could make you the source of a security investigation tomorrow.
