LinkedIn, Stranger Danger and James Bond
Last week I met two of my connections from LinkedIn for the very first time. Not very unusual, I admit, but I think all respective parties were delighted to discover that we weren’t Chinese spies. Yes, apparently LinkedIn is the chosen platform for industrial espionage and according to William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre in the USA, they are waging a “super-aggressive” campaign on the site.
You may be pleased to know if you are reading this in the UK or Germany that our governments have previously warned citizens (aren’t we still subjects of the crown in Britain?) that Beijing has been using LinkedIn to recruit spies. I must admit, I missed that note. Probably lost in all the Brexit chat… However, fake news, fake accounts and random strangers wishing you a happy birthday on LinkedIn are nothing new. But the extent of the problem on LinkedIn has been recognised by the spooks in the US and called them out to purge the site as Twitter and Facebook have done. Time to take action?
Well, it depends how you use the platform. It is a networking site and one that shares news, views, opinions, thought leadership and sometimes pointless maths puzzles. And to network (it’s primary aim), you surely need to be “speaking” to people you don’t know? Otherwise, how do you expand your network, broaden your career opportunities, or develop knowledge in new markets? I have a very close family member (who shall remain nameless, not for privacy reasons, but for my own sake!) who refuses point blank to accept an invitation on LinkedIn from someone they do not know really well. I have explained on more than one occasion that this will limit their network and limit their opportunities for more consulting/interim work in the future.
Yet, LinkedIn gives you the option to refuse a prospective connection’s advances by simply saying no, “I don’t know this person”. Swiping left (or right? Sorry, I’ve never been on that site) might be more interesting, but you can easily ignore a LinkedIn invitation if you are unsure. So it is hardwired into the site. A safety catch. Easy.
But what of due diligence? To take a few moments to look at someone’s profile and get a sense of who they are, who they work for, what they do, how they use LinkedIn. Do you have shred connections that make sense? Do they post/share articles that are relevant to you? Can there be mutual benefit to connecting? I am NOT an open networker so do not accept every request to connect and whilst I would like to think that I am not connected to any Chinese (or Russian or Iranian) spies, I feel comfortable that I have cast a discerning eye over people before saying “yes”.
Admittedly, the focus for the espionage is to recruit experts in healthcare, green energy and technology, so maybe I fall outside of that cohort. But could I be a gateway to others? Am I an unwitting 5th columnist?
No.
I’m just keen to use the power of LinkedIn for the very purpose it was established. Its mission (should we choose to accept it) is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. I buy that. Their success has led them to become a target and a victim of ‘bad actors’. But their success can lead to our success. Back to the two people I met last week. Both were individuals who I had been connected with for a number of years already, but had not met previously. Both I had made contact with proactively in my previous career within search & selection (approaching them for different positions I was recruiting for at the time) but we had not progressed for whatever reasons. And now, as we have all progressed, evolved and changed in our careers, we find ourselves in the position of being able to provide mutual benefit afresh. And hence the meetings. Two simple coffees. One in Leeds and one in Manchester. Potentially both could lead to something significant and tangible.
And all courtesy of the power of LinkedIn. Use it. But use it wisely.
Credits: Reuters, The Economist.
Apologies: Nothing to do with James Bond really, but he is a “spy”.
Disclaimer: All my own views, personally.
Commercial Director - Close Protection, Executive Protection, Travel Risk Management, Media/ Production Security, Corporate, Luxury Retail (Loss Prevention), Events - Guarding, Mobile, CCTV & Colleague Safety Services
6yA very thought provoking article
Managing Director of ERP Resourced and Middletons Assured Talent, founder of The Research Panel
6yYou're back! Good article