To combat the surge of fake LinkedIn accounts in recent years, Microsoft has introduced Entra Verified ID, a new feature that allows users to verify their workplace on the business-focused social media platform.
Verified ID automates verification of identity credentials (Source: Microsoft)
How to verify your workplace on LinkedIn
With Entra Verified ID, organizations can create customized digital employee IDs that employees can use to prove their current employment with the firm.
LinkedIn users can access the workplace verification option on their profile, retrieve their digital employee ID, and then share it on their LinkedIn profile.
“Verified ID is built on open standards for decentralized identity, which operates on a ‘triangle of trust’ model involving three parties: an issuer, a holder, and a verifier. For instance, an organization can act as an issuer by cryptographically signing a digital credential and issuing it to an employee as a digital employee ID,” said Joy Chik, President, Identity & Network Access at Microsoft.
“As the credential holder, the employee can decide to share their credential with apps and websites, such as LinkedIn. Then the verifier can cryptographically authenticate that the digital employee ID is genuine and was issued by the place of work the employee claims. This approach represents a more secure, convenient, and trustworthy way to verify digital information at scale.”
The feature will be rolled out soon
Verified ID comes with an Azure Active Directory subscription, as well as the Azure AD Free, at no additional cost.
This new capability is currently being tested by more than 70 organizations, and it is expected to roll out by the end of April.
“Verifying workplace credentials for use on LinkedIn is just one example of how Verified ID can make digital interactions simpler and more trustworthy, whether they involve organizations or individuals,” Chik added.
“This new way to verify can be useful for background checks, rewards programs, help desk support, and a host of other scenarios that require proof of workplace affiliation. It will also make the process of verifying a prospective employee’s identity and qualifications less manual, time-consuming, and expensive.”
In addition to Verified ID, LinkedIn offers two other options to verify users’ accounts. The first option is to verify identity with CLEAR, a secure identity platform. To use this option, a U.S. government-issued ID and U.S. phone number are required. The second option is to verify work through a company-issued email address.