Category: LinkedIn

Cho, V., & Lam, W. (2020). The power of LinkedIn: How LinkedIn enables professionals to leave their organizations for professional advancement. Internet Research, 31(1), 262286. Web.

This article discusses the history and overall effectiveness of the LinkedIn social network in terms of career building. The creation of professional networks and the profitability provided by its popularity and high reputation are emphasized. However, the authors assess the ability of this network in an international format and focus their attention on the preference for work experience and over-registered employees. The authors doctorate in marketing and management makes this article as informative as possible and provides information for further analysis.

Davis, J., Wolff, H.-G., Forret, M. L., & Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118(103396), 103396. Web.

The authors consider the use of such sites specifically as career search tools. The focus is on career orientation and networking opportunities for job seekers. There is also no regional concentration in this source, but it implies career advantages for job seekers due to the full focus on job search using this online aggregator. Moreover, networking in this format is positioned by the authors as part of the job search solution for introverts.

Elia, M. (2021). Effectiveness of career services on students transition from university to work in Egypt [Masters thesis, American University in Cairo]. Web.

In this thesis, the master examines radical job search options and the effectiveness of these methods in Egypt and Cairo. Particular attention is paid to online resumes, and social media as a job search tool is considered. Additionally, it is noted that career centers at private universities usually offer consulting services and assistance in creating a LinkedIn account and then reviewing it. This functionality promotes the development of the students career aspirations and can contribute to his effective orientation after graduation.

Habets, O., Van der Heijden, B., Ramzy, O., Stoffers, J., & Peters, P. (2021). Employable through social media: An intervention study. Sustainability, 13(9), 5093. Web.

The study is based on technological reasoning about professional development, focusing on the use of social media, especially LinkedIn, to demonstrate ones own professional development. This work has no specific connection to Cairo but examines the results of surveys of a large number of graduates of various majors and their attitudes toward the question. Thanks to this study, it is possible to determine the level of willingness to use digital opportunities to expand job search and to see a slight increase in their number. Moreover, the effectiveness of social networks for graduates is recognized exclusively in the search format for the highest-paid professionals or managerial positions, and why their popularity is low among recent graduates.

Pepe, T. (2019). Blogging from Egypt: Digital literature, 2005-2016. Edinburgh University Press.

This book includes a compilation and distillation of information from various sources within the country while focusing on the English-speaking part of Egypts digital life. In the context of a wide-ranging study, the general sense of how social networks function through concrete examples is examined, and the most relevant topics are given for reflection. These include the digital job search, which has received many new opportunities with the emergence of virtual social networks. Even though this topic is not the main one in the book, it is weighty and makes readers think about its growing importance.

Yu, Y., Saint-Jacques, G., & Matsiras, P. (2021). How to build an effective professional network on linkedin: Some data-driven insights. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.

This article explores how to build an effective professional network on LinkedIn. Despite the peculiarities and challenges of the current registrations on the site, the focus is on the opportunities for entrepreneurs and job seekers. This source does not focus on Cairo but provides enough universal information and statistics to formulate ones own opinion on the relevance of job searching in specific industries. Group membership is identified as a necessary factor for increasing ones chances of getting a better job in a social environment. Moreover, statistical analysis is conducted, and the probability of getting a job through social networking among potential job seekers is evaluated.

References

Cho, V., & Lam, W. (2020). The power of LinkedIn: How LinkedIn enables professionals to leave their organizations for professional advancement. Internet Research, 31(1), 262286. Web.

Davis, J., Wolff, H.-G., Forret, M. L., & Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118(103396), 103396. Web.

Elia, M. (2021). Effectiveness of career services on students transition from university to work in Egypt [Masters thesis, American University in Cairo]. Web.

Habets, O., Van der Heijden, B., Ramzy, O., Stoffers, J., & Peters, P. (2021). Employable through social media: An intervention study. Sustainability, 13(9), 5093. Web.

Pepe, T. (2019). Blogging from Egypt: Digital literature, 2005-2016. Edinburgh University Press.

Yu, Y., Saint-Jacques, G., & Matsiras, P. (2021). How to build an effective professional network on linkedin: Some data-driven insights. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.

Background

Social networks have gained mass popularity in recent years. While social networks help share information and connect like-minded people, they can also lead to misuse of or unintended use of data that they share through data mining attempts. One of the most commonly used professional social networks is linkedin.com. Linkedin.com was launched in 2003 and as of October 2009, has 50 million users worldwide with 11 million users in Europe alone (Weiner, 2009). India is the fastest-growing country with 3 million users and rising day by day (Weiner, 2009). As Jeff Weiner (2009) says, LinkedIn’s mission is “to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”. How far LinkedIn has been successful in this attempt is interesting research by itself but more importantly, I find it more interesting to explore whether data mining is assisting LinkedIn in achieving its goal of creating further roadblocks? Getting a user to join LinkedIn is one thing, but being able to retain that user is another thing. So have users found LinkedIn as useful as it claims and have they continued to use LinkedIn or have they moved on? Survival data mining techniques can help answer this question. The survival data mining technique is an interesting technique that provides “rapid feedback about the customers and their behaviors, while at the same time providing a solid basis for quantifying customer value and measuring customer loyalty” (Linoff, 2004).

Aims

The project aims to understand LinkedIn users, improve user retention and a user lifetime to improve profit margins using survival data mining techniques:

1. to understand value addition such data mining can result into.
2. to understand users, their behaviors, and preferences.
3. to understand what strategies work best for LinkedIn
4. to understand how LinkedIn data can be misused, used against the user, or made unintentional use of without permission and how that can undermine the LinkedIn goals.
5. to understand what steps can be taken and what needs to be taken to reduce the chances of data being misused thereby improving chances of user retention.

Methodology

One of the ways to achieve the aim is to understand how users view data mining of their data on LinkedIn. This can be achieved by interviews or surveys of LinkedIn users whose expectations and concerns regarding the usage of their data can be noted down and their experience regarding the same can be found out.

The second methodology to be employed is to harvest data directly from LinkedIn. This will serve as a proof of concept as to how easy or difficult it is to conduct data mining from LinkedIn to automatically gather large amounts of data and draw conclusions on usage trends. Since there is a multitude of questions to be answered through this research, a variety of techniques will be used including cluster analysis, classification and prediction, and statistical analysis. This data will also be used to perform survival data mining to understand how users can be retained.

*Research Questions

The research seeks to find the answers to the following questions:

1. How can survival data mining provide insights into users?
2. What are the different types of LinkedIn users?
3. How can survival data mining be used to improve user retention?
4. How can data mining be used on LinkedIn to provide more value-added features to its users?
5. How can data mining reveal usage trends useful for conducting market research?
6. Can data mining be used on LinkedIn to help identify crime associations, terrorist activities as can be seen as possibilities with another social network?
7. How can data mining lead to misuse of information provided or unintended use of information that takes place without the user’s permission?
8. What steps can a LinkedIn user take to protect his privacy? What are the tradeoffs in that case?

*Review of the literature

LinkedIn as a business-oriented social networking site has caught the attention of many researchers (e.g. O’Murchu et al, 2004; Churchill et al, 2005); however, it is used more as an example or for comparison with other social networking sites. There has been little research on the usefulness, privacy, and other data mining aspects although there are blogs and news articles on LinkedIn that are interesting. In a related field, there has been similar research conducted on social networking sites aimed at having more friendly than professional contacts including FaceBook and MySpace (e.g. Jones et al, 2005). Data mining on social networks, in general, has also been researched well enough with security and privacy on social networks receiving the most attention. For example, Clifton et al (1996) discuss the security and privacy implications on social networking and provide several methods that could be used to prevent data mining such as fuzzing the data, eliminating unnecessary groupings, audits, augmenting the data, etc. Seifert (2007) and Pant et al (2009) discuss data mining on social networks as a means to detect fraud and terrorist activities.

Survival data mining approaches have been researched in the medical fields and other areas but not applied to social networks like LinkedIn. Linoff (2004) explains how survival data mining can be applied to a subscription-based business model.

Expected Outcomes, Significance, or Rationale

LinkedIn is growing as a professional networking site and the data stored there could have lots of potential for positive research both for the benefit of the user as well as for the business. However, understanding how it can be misused is more important since it could cause harm to the professional image of a user of this site. The research will look at ways that data mining could benefit the users of this site and the business itself positively. The research will also look at how data mining could prove detrimental to the users and what they can do to prevent such incidents from happening.

*Timetable

List of References

ATA, N., ÖZKÖK, E. & KARABEY, U. (2005) “SURVIVAL DATA MINING: AN APPLICATION TO CREDIT CARD HOLDERS”. Journal of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 26(1), 33-42.

Bishop, K., Draskovich, J., Hottenroth, A., Lee, B. & Pesavento, S. (2005) Business Uses of Data Mining and Data Warehousing. Web.

Breiger, R. L., Carley, K. M. & Pattison, P. (2003) “Dynamic Social Network Modeling and Analysis: workshop summary and papers”. National Academics Press.

Churchill, E. F. & Halverson, C. A. (2005) “Social Networks and Social Networking”. IEEE Computer Society, 2005, 14-19

Clifton, C. & Marks, D. (1996) “Security and Privacy Implications of Data Mining”. Proceedings of the 1996 SIGMOD Workshop on Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery.

Collica, R. (2004) “Data Mining Galore: For Business Applications”. Web.

Han, J. & Kamber, M. (2006) “Data mining: concepts and techniques “. Elsevier Inc..

Han, J. & Kamber, M. (2006) “Data mining: concepts and techniques “. Morgan Kaufmann.

Jensen, D. & Neville, J. (n.d.) Data Mining in Social Networks. Web.

Jones, H. & Soltren, J. H. (2005) Facebook: Threats to Privacy. Web.

Kleinberg, J. M. (2007) “Challenges in mining social network data: processes, privacy, and paradoxes”. Proceedings of the 13th ACM SIGKDD international conference on Knowledge discovery and data mining.

KUSIAK, A., DIXON, B. & SHAH, S. (2006) “Predicting survival time for kidney dialysis patients: a data mining approach”. Computers in Biology and Medicine, 35(4), 311-327.

Linoff, G. S. (2004) “Survival Data Mining”. Web.

Linoff, G. S. (2004) Survival Data Mining for Customer Insight. Web.

Mohammed, Z & Kotze, D (2005) “Survival data mining in the telecommunications industries: usefulness and complications “. Data Mining XI: Data Mining, Text Mining and Their Business Applications., 505-512

Olson, D. L. & Delen, D. (2008) “Advanced Data Mining Techniques”. Springer.

O’Murchu, I., Breslin, J. G., and Decker, S. (2004): “Online Social and Business Networking Communities”. Technical Report.

Pant, D. & Sharma, M. K. (2009) “Web Mining and Social Network Analysis in Cyber war, to warn about terrorist attacks”. Web.

Potts, W. (2006) Survival Data Mining. Web.

Seifert, J. W. (2009) Data Mining and Homeland Security: An Overview . Web.

Wang, J. (2009) “Encyclopedia of Data Warehousing and Mining “. Information Science Reference.

Weiner, J. (200) LinkedIn: 50 million professionals worldwide. Web.

A Brief Overview of Technical Communication

The contemporary economy provides the population of the globe with new quests every day. Challenges that should be achieved are encountered every moment; these tasks require creativity and an idea of what to do. The problem of employment can be considered one of the burning issues of the contemporary world community.

So, every person that seeks for a job opportunity should apply the most appropriate methods to place an application, establish useful contacts, and find a good job. In this respect, it is necessary to mention about the technological progress and helpful innovations that are aimed at facilitating the process of searching for necessary information, its synthesis, and assessment.

Some programs are created for professional use only whereas others can be implemented in fields that do not require in-depth knowledge of computers, software, and technology. One of these programs is the LinkedIn that is used by ordinary users to facilitate the access to their personal information, establish contacts to use those in future, and help employers hire them to the most appropriate positions.

Though there are many social networks aimed at helping users from all over the web to search and share information, it is clear that all these applications have some features in common and certain differences as well.

So, the main features that help to differentiate between the LinkedIn and other social networks include the opportunity to share information about job objectives, establish connections of different degrees, and present one’s profile in a professional manner.

All users should find it useful and easily applicable to their resumes because a user can use the existing profile with a resume or create a new file that can be used to fill in the boxes required to complete the profile.

A Practical Approach to Technical Communication

One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is that people from different parts of the world can share information, search for information, and store different facts, files, and sources in the Internet databases.

In this respect, the LinkedIn network facilitates the process of searching for definite people in terms of their education, career, objectives, and other parameters. So, if you have graduated from a university, you are sure to find your peers by means of searching for them by name through a specific search box tool. The same operation can be performed by employers who want to find an applicant for a certain position.

The benefits of this network are obvious, especially for those who spend a lot of time searching for specific information through the Internet. Moreover, recruitment can be accelerated by means of using the LinkedIn network because recruiters do not have to scan databases while searching for applicants hence being able to view more applications at once and choose the most appropriate.

The more people talk about the usefulness of the internet and technological innovations that can be applied to almost all fields of science and technology, the more relevant these innovations seem to be in terms of their application to management and career planning.

Though some people find it daunting to learn simple rules and implement those in practice via completion of a LinkedIn profile, it is really simple in application and useful in terms of results. Thus, every user can increase his/her chances to find a relevant job by means of using the LinkedIn. As every step requires good grammar, you can complete the profile with the help of a Word processor and then transfer the data to the profile.

Completing the Profile

One can find clear instructions on the steps to be taken while completing the profile with the help of the LinkedIn network on the Internet. There are instructions and comments concerning every step and every aspect to bear in mind while filling in the boxes.

One of the most important aspects that you should take into account while completing your profile is that you should not talk about your preferences or hobbies because this network is used for employment: some people search for a job and find good positions while others are looking for appropriate applicants for certain positions. So, your resume information is the basic data to include into your professional networking profile.

The next step concerns the connections to establish and expand. If you are a student or/and are looking for work, you can use a special box to mark the field that interests you most in terms of professional activity to be engaged in. If you already have a job but want to keep in contact with your colleagues, peers from the university, and other people who have a profile on the LinkedIn, you can find those people via a special search engine and expand your connections adding friends of your friends to your network.

Though the information from the profile is used basically for professional networking, it contains a specific section that contains some data about your preferences, hobby, and other things that can be related to your professional activity or be simply useful for an employer to know about.

In this respect, you have to be creative to produce the most positive impression. Note that spelling and grammar errors should be eliminated from the profile; every fact should be checked before saving the information. Moreover, you can add more information by means of asking your instructors (if you are a student and searching for a job) or colleagues/employers (if you already have a job) to provide some references and recommendations.

A picture is an integral part of the portfolio because people should know how you look; the more professional you look in the picture, the more seriously your portfolio will be treated by employers and colleagues. If some websites contain links to your page or provide additional information that can be useful for people interested in your application, you should include links to those websites. Help other Internet search engines identify your profile and link to it.

Conclusion

Every word written about you on the Internet can be helpful in terms of searching for your profile and offering you a certain position. The LinkedIn network is a social network used for professional connections, sharing information on the job opportunities, and finding people that can help you in building other connections.

The more detailed and valid information is included into your profile, the easier can be access to it. Besides, the way of presentation used in the LinkedIn profile enables applicants and employers to find the most appropriate opportunities and options. Every box of the profile increases your chances to succeed while searching for a job.

This memo serves to outline the pressing needs of LinkedIn in terms of effective software development. At present, despite the prominent status of the company, it retains considerable points of improvement at both internal and external levels. The recent public discussions surrounding user data security are related to the second domain, an important overarching objective of the organization (Tunggal, 2021).

Nevertheless, the internal level is equally essential for the sustained growth and development of LinkedIn. In this regard, the optimization of the accounting procedures is required to enable the efficient distribution of the company’s budget. Meeting the internal goals regarding accounting-related software will translate into a more available resource to combat the cybersecurity threats indicated by UpGuard (2021). Therefore, the organization’s present needs demonstrate the complex interrelatedness of its structure and operations.

The reorganization of the internal accounting procedures implies a variety of approaches to developing and implementing the new software indicated in Table 1. First, the observed availability of advanced technology and the current level of progress promote the widespread of the open-source framework. In this case, the software is developed through the input of talented and experienced members of the community who use their combined expertise to benefit humanity. Such projects require considerably fewer resources, economizing the budget, but they virtually expose the source code of the platform (Al-Zewairi et al., 2017).

The corresponding data security concerns are too important to disregard for an organization with LinkedIn’s background. The second option is to outsource the development of the software through specialized commercial organizations. This way, the development will be handled by professionals with clear licensing policies and improved data security. However, external organizations may lack the details of LinkedIn’s vision and needs in regard to the software.

Option three implies that the software development process is to be held within the company. Thus, it is to be done internally, using the available resources and expertise of LinkedIn. In this scenario, the cost-efficiency and data protection are weighed against the limits of internal knowledge, which may not suffice to attain the desired quality and usability of the software. The advantages and benefits of each approach are presented in Table 1 for your convenience.

Considering these points, it appears viable to opt for a hybrid model that will combine the benefits of the second and the third options. From the technological perspective, LinkedIn is a highly advanced organization that possesses a considerable level of expertise that will allow it to handle most of the processes internally. Moreover, this model will ensure that the internal needs of the company are met. However, the profound features of the accounting software may extend beyond the normal array of LinkedIn’s operations. Thus, the most complicated solutions may be partially outsourced to a specialized team of developers. In this case, an emphasis is to be laid on the integrability of the solutions.

Table 1. Available Approaches to Software Development

In order to ensure that the organization’s internal needs are met within this complex paradigm, it is vital to outline each step of the process. This way, all employees and the leadership will be aware of the plan and its relation to practice. It is proposed to rely on the framework of the software development lifecycle that addresses all phases of the process (Kumar & Rashid, 2018). For better understanding, Table 2 introduces these phases in relation to the practical dimension of the task.

Table 2. Software Development Life Cycle Plan.

The envisaged process is expected to result in the development and implementation of the advanced accounting software leading to the automation of an array of key processes. This approach appears beneficial as compared to the standard procedures, including the reliance on spreadsheets and email platforms. More specifically, it will eliminate the necessity of multiple manual operations that impede the efficiency of the accounting process and increase the possibility of human-conditioned errors (Marushchak et al., 2021). This way, the procedures are likely to become less time-consuming and more optimal in terms of resource distribution. As a result, LinkedIn will be able to allocate more time and funds to external data security resolution.

Evidently, the proposed plan implies certain risks that need to be considered at all stages. First of all, the use of outsourced teams appears indispensable at the current stage. From one perspective, it will provide the company with better insight into the specifics of accounting software solutions and introduce the industry’s best practices with profound experience. On the other hand, this framework raises reasonable concerns over the integrability of the software (Gill et al., 2016). In other words, the members of the outsourced teams have limited knowledge of LinkedIn’s internal operations and needs. Thus, communication is to be as clear and constant as possible.

However, data security protocols limit the company’s ability to disclose much information to third parties. Cost-wise, the project risks becoming considerably expensive. The primary expenditures are related to the contractor activities, meaning that LinkedIn is to provide a budget for the outsourced developers and testers. Internally, most of the process can be executed within the standard payroll, as the core of it will be completed with LinkedIn’s own forces. However, considering the magnitude of the task, all workers involved may require additional financial incentives, contributing to the overall cost of the project.

In this regard, the necessity of constant communication is to be fixed in the formal agreement between LinkedIn and its contractors. The meeting and update schedules are to be strictly fixed, comprising all participants and agendas for the daily, weekly, and monthly briefings. Furthermore, a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement is to be attached to the contract, specifying the impossibility of the use and further distribution of any information obtained from LinkedIn beyond the scope of the agreement. In addition, the contract language will serve to ensure that all deadlines of the software development and distribution are met.

The final draft is to comprise a penalty clause in case the contractors fail to provide their part of the project in time. Overall, all the departments involved and the leadership are to work in sync in order to attain the desired results.

References

Al-Zewairi, M., Biltawi, M., Etaiwi, W., & Shaout, A. (2017). Agile software development methodologies: Survey of surveys. Journal of Computer and Communications, 05(05), 74-97. Web.

Gill, A. Q., Henderson-Sellers, B., & Niazi, M. (2016). Scaling for agility: A reference model for hybrid traditional-Agile software development methodologies. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(2), 315-341. Web.

Kumar, M., & Rashid, E. (2018). An efficient software development life cycle model for developing software project. Education and Management Engineering, 6, 59–68.

Marushchak, L., Pavlykivska, O., Liakhovych, G., Vakun, O., & Shveda, N. (2021). Accounting software in modern business. Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems Journal, 6(1), 862-870. Web.

Rehman, F. U., Maqbool, B., Riaz, M. Q., Qamar, U., & Abbas, M. (2018). Scrum software maintenance model: Efficient software maintenance in Agile methodology. 2018 21st Saudi Computer Society National Computer Conference (NCC). Web.

Tunggal, A. T. (2021). The 57 biggest data breaches. UpGuard. Web.

UpGuard. (2021). LinkedIN. Web.

In the age of digitalization and technological progress, more people and organizations rely on modern advancements. They facilitate most day-to-day operations, introducing convenient and unparalleled methods of work and leisure. However, new threats emerge along with the progress, putting society at risk. The Internet has become the largest storage of personal and corporate information in the history of the world. In this regard, the opportunities for remote access form an area of increased risk, as third parties can obtain it in an unauthorized manner. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional social network, has experienced such a development twice, in 2012 and 2021. The data relating to hundreds of millions of users was leaked online in the Dark Web segment of the Internet. Such leaks became the product of hackers’ desire to profit from the cybersecurity flaws of LinkedIn. These cases are detrimental to society, as users of various services become exposed to illegal actions. In addition, the public trust in such platforms becomes undermined, providing arguments against progress. This paper aims to investigate the cybersecurity weaknesses of LinkedIn from technological, personal, and policy perspectives.

First of all, cybersecurity is a matter of technological development, as it is related to the concept of progress itself. As hacking tools evolve, so should the cybersecurity infrastructures of platforms that possess large arrays of user data. Ahmed et al. (2019) refer to technological factors as one of the key determinants of the data breach possibility. In other words, if the cybersecurity architecture of service is flawed, hackers can access confidential information with fewer difficulties. According to Tunggal (2021), LinkedIn experienced major data breaches twice, in 2012 and 2021, resulting in millions of users’ data being compromised. This information suggests that the platform was not able to implement the required security infrastructure after the first case. The most recent incident occurred due to the exploitation of the platform’s API. Accordingly, this architecture that aims at establishing the site’s connection to other services was not protected from a skilled hacker. Thus, the lack of a developed cybersecurity infrastructure embedded in the platform’s API reveals the key weakness.

On the other hand, technological aspects of cybersecurity weaknesses do not exist in isolation. Ahmed et al. (2019) mention human factors as another key component of major data breaches. Despite the current progress, cybersecurity infrastructure is built by people, making it subject to errors. If weaknesses are allowed and a data breach occurs, it is essential to draw meaningful conclusions and prevent them from happening again, which was not the case for LinkedIn. Despite a prior major leak, the platform’s team was unable to secure its API, making it susceptible to another cyberattack. In this context, the size of the company may be a major factor at play. In larger companies, it becomes more difficult to control all procedures, whereas employee turnover is higher (Rombaut & Guerry, 2021). Thus, being a giant in its segment, LinkedIn appears to exercise less control over its human resources, including cybersecurity teams.

Finally, the prevention and handling of data breaches put the company’s strategic policy to the ultimate test. In the case of LinkedIn, this factor revealed a sub-optimal level of performance. Tunggal (2021) reports that the company concealed the exact numbers regarding the scale and the scope of the 2012 data leak. Moreover, in 2021, LinkedIn rejected the breach terminology when addressing the matter, claiming that users of the platform have not been compromised (Morris, 2021). The outcomes of the incident suggest otherwise, as the leak exposed hundreds of millions of people who later were harassed by those who obtained their data illegally. Denying all accusations is an ineffective policy for LinkedIn, as it undermines the public’s trust in the platform. In addition, if the company does not acknowledge the breach, it appears unlike to address the matter properly. Therefore, LinkedIn’s policy in this regard should be transformed to reflect the magnitude of the situation.

References

Rombaut, E., & Guerry, M. A. (2021). Determinants of voluntary turnover: A data-driven analysis for blue and white collar workers. Work (early access pre-print), 1-21.

Ahmed, M., Kambam, H. R., Liu, Y., & Uddin, M. N. (2019). Impact of human factors in cloud data breach. In F. Xhafa, S. Patnaik, & M. Tavana (Eds.), Advances in intelligent systems and interactive applications (pp. 568-577). Springer.

Morris, C. (2021). Massive data leak exposes 700 million LinkedIn users’ information. Fortune. Web.

Tunggal, A. T. The 57 biggest data breaches (updated for 2021). UpGuard. Web.

The major breaches that occurred over the last nine years have affected LinkedIn to a serious extent on an organizational level. Based on the analysis of the company’s cybersecurity status, the major flaws comprise breaches in the website’s API, as well as the lack of HttpOnly cookies and DNSSEC. In addition, first-time visitors of the service are subject to a MITM attack because the domain does not appear on the HSTS preload list (UpGuard, 2021). Thus, in the current cybersecurity situation, the company remains subject to unauthorized third-party access. The lack of DNS key verification creates a favorable environment for phishing attempts, providing another avenue of user data fraud.

In this regard, the service’s data is to be protected from unauthorized from the outside. The security systems of Bell-LaPadula and Biba are unlikely to become the optimal choice for this objective. They are designed primarily for the military context, preserving the chain of command and preventing the improper manipulation of data. A similar perspective is valid in the case of Clinical Information Systems Security. The Chinese Wall is created for competitive digital environments, making its purpose utterly different from the pressing concerns of LinkedIn. Next, the Access Control Matrix of the Graham-Denning system deals with specific variables, which are not applicable in LinkedIn’s cybersecurity space.

The intermediary principle of Clark-Wilson is more promising in the discussed scenario, but there appear to exist better options. More specifically, the frameworks of noninterference and nondeducibility rely on the strong division of low and high entities (Lu et al., 2019). This is exactly what is needed by LinkedIn, as breaches in DNSSEC and API may allow unauthorized users to access high-level objects within the system. The noninterference framework appears more secure for such sensitive data. Even though it is often perceived as excessively strict, this level of protection will benefit LinkedIn amid the aftermath of data breach scandals.

Therefore, the systems of noninterference and nondeducibility reflect the features that are required by LinkedIn. The imperfections of the system’s API enabled the most recent data breach that led to a leak of hundreds of millions of users’ private data. Such software is useful for the establishment of an enhanced interaction between several applications, but it imposes additional risks. More specifically, with the absence of HttpOnly cookies, low-level users may obtain access to high-level objects within the system if the IT department of the company overlooks certain loopholes. The properties of the noninterference framework regulate the relationship between the two levels, implementing a solid wall between the entities. Accordingly, this wall will implement an additional security checkpoint that will verify any access attempts. If the required status for viewing and editing high-level objects is not registered by the system, the attempt will be blocked, notifying the cybersecurity unit.

On the other hand, the core of most security models dates back to the earlier stages of cybersecurity evolution. Thus, their properties may not reflect the full extent of today’s information systems complexity. For example, the concept of API is a relatively recent addition to data handling, as prior frameworks were more self-contained and the need for external interaction was not as obvious. Thus, the strict categorization of applications, and not only users, is required to reflect the value of API along with its challenges. In addition, the chosen security framework is to maintain the uninterrupted functioning of millions of datasets, which comprises both users and partner organizations. The implementation of new firewalls is often associated with the risks of making the process more complicated or long. LinkedIn is a website of paramount importance for today’s professional communities, possessing a considerable amount of data. Thus, it is vital not to increase the load on servers to have a user experience unimpaired by security initiatives.

Finally, it appears possible to compile an updated cybersecurity plan for LinkedIn. The organization currently seeks to create “economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce” (LinkedIn, 2021a). As per the company’s data policy, the search for economic opportunities is to be safe and secure so that both users and employers trust the platform (LinkedIn, 2021b). Thus, the ambitions of the company are truly global, imposing additional requirements on the functionality and safety of its web services. In its current practice, LinkedIn has strict regulations in terms of the use of potentially damaging software, algorithms, and tools. Any means of scraping and automated contact interaction are strictly prohibited on the platform (LinkedIn, 2018). In addition, the terms of the service naturally discourage users from illegally obtained data manipulation. As per the current plan, these verbal restrictions will be strengthened further by a noninterference security framework. The idea is to draw a line, distinguishing publicly available data from private information.

At the same time, any signs of automated means of data handling even in the public domain, such as multiple attempts of dataset access in a short period, should be immediately identified and blocked. Most of the current risks come from third parties, becoming an external threat to the integrity of the company. Within the framework of the plan, users will exhibit only a portion of private contact information in the public domain. The rest of the data will be placed under the website’s protective mechanisms and accessed through API-based mediators. For example, recruiters will not be able to see phone numbers and email addresses directly. Instead, LinkedIn’s interface will process their requests and transmit communication attempts as an intermediary high-level subject. Appendix B lists the key security aspects of an envisaged LinkedIn cybersecurity framework.

References

LinkedIn. (2021b). LinkedIn joins Digital Trust & Safety Partnership. Web.

LinkedIn. (2018). Prohibited software and extensions. Web.

LinkedIn. (2021a). About LinkedIn. Web.

Lu, C., Qian, G., & Chen, T. (2019). A cloud computing security model based on noninterference. Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences, 24, 194–200. Web.

UpGuard. (2021, July 27). LinkedIn. Web.

Social media have shaped the way people communicate and do business as technology has made people much closer, eliminating such major barriers as time and distance. Various platforms have been developed to meet customers’ diverse needs. LinkedIn is one of the domains created to help employers and employees to find each other (McCabe, 2017). This platform is also instrumental in developing multiple social links and becoming a member of many communities that can be fruitful in different career paths.

Although the social network in question may seem a method to find a job or a candidate to hold a position, its use can be more complex and beneficial for many professionals, as well as organizations (see Table 1). This platform is beneficial for the development of communities where people access information about employees and employers, best practices, and methods to avoid (McCabe, 2017). High-profile professionals and early-career employees can build on the social links they develop to grow as professionals and find employment.

Organizations can reach talent and tell potential employees about themselves. On the whole, LinkedIn is an appropriate domain for growth as both organizations and employees can learn about each other’s needs and expectations, as well as novelties in diverse fields, and develop accordingly. Practitioners can also push the boundaries of their practice, discussing various projects, ideas, approaches, and intentions, aimed at improving some aspects of their work.

In order to ensure the effective use of this resource, it is necessary to pay specific attention to some areas when creating and utilizing the profile. For instance, the background photo is an important element that grabs people’s attention and makes the profile memorable, which is important (Fleming, 2020). In addition, it sheds light on the user, displaying their interest, goals, or even hobbies and philosophies.

Table 1. Ways to Do Business with LinkedIn.

Building networks is the central focus and the major goal of using LinkedIn. It is important to ensure that endorsements are given wisely, as they can be seen as an instrument of enhancing the user’s credibility (Fleming, 2020). Adding comments is another fruitful practice that can help the user to be an effective member of professional networks. Of course, ensuring that the profile contains relevant and well-organized content is essential.

On balance, it is necessary to note that Linked In is social media, enabling professionals and organizations to grow, through development and knowledge sharing. This platform is not confined to the recruitment process but makes practitioners more empowered as they can express their ideas and articulate needs. Many people can benefit from becoming a part of the community created with the help of this social network.

References

Fleming, J. (2020). 20 steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2020. Web.

McCabe, M. B. (2017). Social media marketing strategies for career advancement: An analysis of LinkedIn. Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 29(1), 85-99.

Abstract

The network of LinkedIn was launched in 2003. In continues to attract potential employees and employers from all over the world. In the UAE, big international companies and small offices use LinkedIn to find talented and skilled professionals. Potential employees in the UAE prefer using LinkedIn; many of them are young adults who have just begun their careers. LinkedIn is used by millions of citizens in the UAE, and the amount of members from this country is constantly growing.

Introduction

The use of social media as a tool for a job search has been progressively used by modern users in the past decade. A similar trend can be noticed in the UAE, where users prefer using various social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace. However, if such social networks as Facebook or Twitter are usually used to communicate with friends and relatives, LinkedIn is considered to be a network where business relations also take place. Its main advantages include the opportunities the website provides for job seekers, as well as the big amount of top companies’ profiles that prefer to look for new employees online.

LinkedIn’s Story

LinkedIn was launched in 2003. Today, more than four hundred million users are registered on the social network. LinkedIn’s main difference from other social networks is that it is employment-oriented (Kannan, Menezes & McKechnie 2010). It offers users various tools for the job search, e.g. adding the resume, connecting to people employed at certain companies to obtain information about the possible employment, follow companies, and bookmark jobs they going to apply for or find interesting.

As to UAE, the first office of LinkedIn was opened in Dubai in the year 2012. According to LinkedIn management, one million of the users were residing in the UAE (Valdini 2012, para. 3). According to the newer data, 2.49 million (24%) citizens of UAE are members of LinkedIn (UAE social media statistics 2015 2015, para. 2).

LinkedIn as a Tool

Because LinkedIn targets a specific market and is similar to a (web) conference between employees and employers from various companies, it attracts the attention of skilled professional employees and (international) employers who seek for qualified personnel. LinkedIn also offers a pay version where potential employees can receive messages about possible places of employment they might find interesting (Kannan, Menezes & McKechnie 2010).

In the UAE, LinkedIn is more popular than Twitter: 12% of the population prefers using this website instead of the other network (3% of the population in the UAE use Twitter) (Social media usage in the Middle East – statistics and trends [infographic] 2013). According to the LinkedIn statistics, the number of employees who identify themselves as entrepreneurs in the UAE and use the network has almost doubled in 2016 (UAE preferred destination for entrepreneurs: LinkedIn 2016). Moreover, the UAE is a desirable destination for LinkedIn members who identify themselves with entrepreneurship in different industries, e.g. technology and software, retail, healthcare, etc. (UAE preferred destination for entrepreneurs: LinkedIn 2016).

However, LinkedIn has also helped its members to find a job in smaller companies in the UAE: the number of employees who specified that they were working in companies with 200 employees or fewer has increased by ten percent this year (UAE preferred destination for entrepreneurs: LinkedIn 2016). Many large and respected companies in the UAE begin cooperation with LinkedIn to seek for investors, professionals, employees. For example, the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority formed an alliance with LinkedIn to connect with the members of the network and attract new investors and professionals who will work in Human Capital and Sales (DAFZA and LinkedIn join hands 2016).

It is not the first collaboration between LinkedIn and companies in the UAE. For example, in 2015 LinkedIn conducted ‘LinkedIn Talent Awards’ in Dubai where 700 organizations participated in competing in “employer branding in the MENA region” (Alshaya wins LinkedIn’s best talent acquisition team award in MENA 2015). As the winner had stated, the company used LinkedIn to attract talented, skilled, and promising candidates.

Another prominent company, Al-Futtaim (business conglomerate), has stated that 53% of Al-Futtaim’s employees have used LinkedIn during their recruitment at the company (Al-Futtaim increases investment in recruiting through LinkedIn 2015). In 2015, the number of followers Al-Futtaim had on their LinkedIn page was 140.000 members (Al-Futtaim increases investment in recruiting through LinkedIn 2015). Thus, as the presence of the respected companies in the network grows, more and more members and potential employees prefer using LinkedIn instead of other resources and websites.

The reason behind such overwhelming popularity of LinkedIn among employees is that the companies put effort into attracting more professionals and companies from all over the world. However, it also offers a creative approach to recruitment: in 2013, LinkedIn allowed students who were 13 years old or older to put their CV on the website and connect with other professionals (Kapur 2013).

According to the network’s representative, this campaign was launched specifically for pre-university students who will make decisions about their future careers quite soon. As the new members were minors, the default settings for them were different, and the students could always find contacts of the Family Centre on LinkedIn’s page if they had difficulties with the network content. Thus, the company has encouraged members of the younger generation to think about how they are going to start their careers during or after their studies at university.

The potential employee can find various offers from different companies in the UAE, including Emirates, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, American University of Sharjah, and international corporate giants such as Google, Facebook, and others.

In 2015, the network launched its Arabic version at the company’s office in Abu Dhabi. This decision has strengthened the communication and cooperation between Arabic members of LinkedIn in the UAE, as well as other Arabic speaking countries and areas. All members of LinkedIn who used the English version of the website could switch easily to the Arabic one. Through these modifications, LinkedIn increased the usability of the website for those employees who did not speak English but wanted to join the network. The representatives of the companies in the UAE had noticed that the number of details presented in the profile, how often it was updated, what multimedia content could be found on those pages were especially important for employers.

As the UAE Expo 2020 will take place in Abu Dhabi, 200.000 workplaces were created and offered through LinkedIn, providing career opportunities for Abu Dhabi and the UAE citizens.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is one of the main networks for a successful job search in the UAE. Hundreds of companies and brands offer career opportunities for UAE citizens. Representatives of younger generations (13-16 y.o.) and young adults (20-25 y.o.) also prefer using LinkedIn as a job search tool.

The recommendations for the company would be the following: to continue working with corporate giants and attract new investors who are prominent in Abu Dhabi and other cities in the UAE; promote the network among adults and senior citizens who are experienced workers; open new offices in other cities in the UAE; improve the usability of the network for people who are not familiar with this type of job searching tools; increase presence of advertisements in Abu Dhabi and other cities.

Reference List

Al-Futtaim increases investment in recruiting through LinkedIn 2015. Web.

Alshaya wins LinkedIn’s best talent acquisition team award in MENA 2015. Web.

DAFZA and LinkedIn join hands 2016. Web.

Kannan, S, Menezes, G & McKechnie, D 2010, Social networking sites in the UAE emerging market: in pursuit of knowledge about users. Web.

Kapur, S 2013, LinkedIn opens up to 13-year-old UAE students. Web.

Social media usage in Middle East – statistics and trends [infographic] 2013. Web.

UAE social media statistics 2015. 2015. Web.

Valdini, C 2012, LinkedIn opens first MENA office in Dubai. Web.

Cho, V., & Lam, W. (2020). The power of LinkedIn: How LinkedIn enables professionals to leave their organizations for professional advancement. Internet Research, 31(1), 262–286. Web.

This article discusses the history and overall effectiveness of the LinkedIn social network in terms of career building. The creation of professional networks and the profitability provided by its popularity and high reputation are emphasized. However, the authors assess the ability of this network in an international format and focus their attention on the preference for work experience and over-registered employees. The authors’ doctorate in marketing and management makes this article as informative as possible and provides information for further analysis.

Davis, J., Wolff, H.-G., Forret, M. L., & Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118(103396), 103396. Web.

The authors consider the use of such sites specifically as career search tools. The focus is on career orientation and networking opportunities for job seekers. There is also no regional concentration in this source, but it implies career advantages for job seekers due to the full focus on job search using this online aggregator. Moreover, networking in this format is positioned by the authors as part of the job search solution for introverts.

Elia, M. (2021). Effectiveness of career services on students transition from university to work in Egypt [Master’s thesis, American University in Cairo]. Web.

In this thesis, the master examines radical job search options and the effectiveness of these methods in Egypt and Cairo. Particular attention is paid to online resumes, and social media as a job search tool is considered. Additionally, it is noted that career centers at private universities usually offer consulting services and assistance in creating a LinkedIn account and then reviewing it. This functionality promotes the development of the student’s career aspirations and can contribute to his effective orientation after graduation.

Habets, O., Van der Heijden, B., Ramzy, O., Stoffers, J., & Peters, P. (2021). Employable through social media: An intervention study. Sustainability, 13(9), 5093. Web.

The study is based on technological reasoning about professional development, focusing on the use of social media, especially LinkedIn, to demonstrate one’s own professional development. This work has no specific connection to Cairo but examines the results of surveys of a large number of graduates of various majors and their attitudes toward the question. Thanks to this study, it is possible to determine the level of willingness to use digital opportunities to expand job search and to see a slight increase in their number. Moreover, the effectiveness of social networks for graduates is recognized exclusively in the search format for the highest-paid professionals or managerial positions, and why their popularity is low among recent graduates.

Pepe, T. (2019). Blogging from Egypt: Digital literature, 2005-2016. Edinburgh University Press.

This book includes a compilation and distillation of information from various sources within the country while focusing on the English-speaking part of Egypt’s digital life. In the context of a wide-ranging study, the general sense of how social networks function through concrete examples is examined, and the most relevant topics are given for reflection. These include the digital job search, which has received many new opportunities with the emergence of virtual social networks. Even though this topic is not the main one in the book, it is weighty and makes readers think about its growing importance.

Yu, Y., Saint-Jacques, G., & Matsiras, P. (2021). How to build an effective professional network on linkedin: Some data-driven insights. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.

This article explores how to build an effective professional network on LinkedIn. Despite the peculiarities and challenges of the current registrations on the site, the focus is on the opportunities for entrepreneurs and job seekers. This source does not focus on Cairo but provides enough universal information and statistics to formulate one’s own opinion on the relevance of job searching in specific industries. Group membership is identified as a necessary factor for increasing one’s chances of getting a better job in a social environment. Moreover, statistical analysis is conducted, and the probability of getting a job through social networking among potential job seekers is evaluated.

References

Cho, V., & Lam, W. (2020). The power of LinkedIn: How LinkedIn enables professionals to leave their organizations for professional advancement. Internet Research, 31(1), 262–286. Web.

Davis, J., Wolff, H.-G., Forret, M. L., & Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118(103396), 103396. Web.

Elia, M. (2021). Effectiveness of career services on students transition from university to work in Egypt [Master’s thesis, American University in Cairo]. Web.

Habets, O., Van der Heijden, B., Ramzy, O., Stoffers, J., & Peters, P. (2021). Employable through social media: An intervention study. Sustainability, 13(9), 5093. Web.

Pepe, T. (2019). Blogging from Egypt: Digital literature, 2005-2016. Edinburgh University Press.

Yu, Y., Saint-Jacques, G., & Matsiras, P. (2021). How to build an effective professional network on linkedin: Some data-driven insights. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.

Social networking sites have become very common on the World Wide Web today (Gowel, 2011). The users of these sites are able to create individual and corporate profiles in order to search for friends, colleagues and professional assistance.

The users can be able to link up with other individuals from all walks of life within or outside their organizations. Users convey both public and private messages to many people and end up expanding their network while bringing on board a vast array of colleagues and individuals (Gowel, 2011).

Unlike social websites such as Face-book, Twitter and others, which are utilized by users of all ages for socialization or common interest, LinkedIn is quite a different site, because it is mainly used in professional networking (Gowel, 2011).

At the moment about forty five million individual professionals are using the site to share ideas, information, job opportunities and innovations (Gowel, 2011).

When a user creates an account with LinkedIn, they are able to search for contacts and link up to networks, such as the “I-O practitioners” and the “SIOP network” (Gowel, 2011).

LinkedIn which is a giant network has a specific objective of linking up professionals toward networking and provides options which allow them to add information to their individual and corporate profile.

The information added includes, work history, specific interest and references (Gowel, 2011). The network also allows the users to get in touch and get updated with any new interesting professional information (Gowel, 2011).

LinkedIn is years ahead of the other professional social networks which are being utilized by professionals who use it to achieve their goals (Muccio, Burns & Murrah, 2009).

Although LinkedIn’s most valuable technical features have not materially changed since it was officially launching in the year 2003, the tangible value that the platform now provides wasn’t accessible until recently.

This core, valuable functionality has the potential of changing the way organizations and individuals plan and manage their institutional and professional growth (Gowel, 2011).

The site for instance, can be used to grow an organization’s employees through direct consultation and training using its platform. LinkedIn can be used to enhance revenue generation, build market share, attract investor confidence and improve employee hiring process (Gowel, 2011).

Through the use of LinkedIn professionals can refine their expertise get informed on the best industrial practices in order to be empowered on how to take up bigger opportunities.

It can also be used to effectively train more people to assist them to comfortably take up new skilled jobs (Gowel, 2011). It can be used to amplify the actions which are being performed at an organization by instilling new ideas and information about the best practices of handling a given management & operational function of an organization (Gowel, 2011).

In comparison to other social networks, LinkedIn gives a vast array of products for free and it is the best way to generate ‘leads’ and gain key ‘introductions’ for most businesses (Gowel, 2011).

LinkedIn allows an individual to enhance the value of his or her own relationship and work towards the growth of a personal brand (Gowel, 2011). It is a powerful platform for use by the hardworking, value-producing and ethical individuals who are not getting much out of their networks as they think they deserve to (Gowel, 2011).

Such an individual always thinks that, “If people knew me and the exceptional work I am doing, I would achieve my business goals much faster.” On the other hand, if your efforts or brands have not positively impacted anybody else, LinkedIn will make your market penetration to increase (Gowel, 2011).

Most features on LinkedIn are similar to those on other socials networks such as face-book. On LinkedIn, a user can list his events and invite ‘contacts’ to join the site. The site can calculate the number of people in a single individual’s profile, which then gives us an idea of how vast access LinkedIn exposes individual to (Gowel, 2011).

That is to imply that, when you add one person to your network, you are also connected to their network as well, which makes LinkedIn a very powerful networking platform (Port, 2010).

Another distinct feature of LinkedIn is that the site gives the user recommendations. A user is able to give and receive written recommendations from colleagues (Port, 2010).

For instance, a user may ask a former employer or co-worker to write a brief recommendation for him by sending him a link (Port, 2010). The site also allows the user to create a separate profile for their company or business, which can help to market its brands (Port, 2010).

LinkedIn offers a unique feature called ‘the degree of connection’ which enables users to have ‘added individuals’ to be listed either as first, second, or third degree (Port, 2010).

LinkedIn applications functions just like on face-book. You can link to your blog and import your blog postings (Port, 2010). You can also link your twitter account so that your information shows up on LinkedIn profile (Port, 2010).

When doing a search for individuals and companies on the site you can import your contacts from popular emails programs and link them to LinkedIn (Port, 2010). You can also create groups in LinkedIn focused on a hobby, or more likely, a topic to your business (Port, 2010).

In conclusion it can be noted that, LinkedIn is a networking media for business professionals. It is a tool to use in a business, career management, education, social endeavors and probably a whole lot more functions.

When you are in business, you can turn the ‘contacts’ on LinkedIn to clients. This therefore indicates that, LinkedIn is a modern information communication technology platform which can be harnessed by businesses to drive the global economy to greater heights.

References

Gowel, D. (2011). The Power in a link: open doors, close deals, and change the way you do business using LinkedIn. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Muccio, C., Burns, D. and Murrah, P. (2009). 42 rules for 24-hour success on LinkedIn. Cupertino, California: Superstar Press.

Port, M. (2010). Book Yourself Solid: the Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.