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Today, when my boss talking with me, he suddenly said: No you don't need to worry about it, everyday you have 3 or 4 messages with agent in Linkedin right?

I am very very surprised, because :

  1. I work at home.
  2. I don't use VPN.
  3. I use Linux (Ubuntu) system which installed by me.
  4. I login with my Chrome / Gmail account.
  5. I use my personal outlook.
  6. everytime I talk with interviewers, I use my Zoom account.
  7. I use myself mobile phone, my sim card.

The only thing is I daily use laptop provided by company. But as a 15 years IT engineer, I can not see how possible company can view my data. Especially he know there are 3 or 4 people I talking with everyday.

The only possible is is there any possible Linkined provide service that would send my data to our company?

GAD3R
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Elisa
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  • I assume that your Zoom is your personal one (ie created by you with no invite to join the enterprise account, ideally also with your personal email)? (If not... D: ) – Laurel Apr 30 '21 at 02:17
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    I get messages nearly every day from agents on Linkedin. I would assume that's the case for everyone with anything related to software engineering in their profile. So the probability, that your boss is just guessing, is very high i would say. – dunni Apr 30 '21 at 06:15
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    @dunni you get even more messages if you set your account to looking for a job. – rtaft Apr 30 '21 at 11:43
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    This hardly seems like a information security question. They certainly could theoretically see anything you do on their device, a device you installed something they provided on or a browser/app/website using their account or an account they have access to, access any password-only account you ever used on their device, listen through the mic or see through the camera of a device that appears to be inactive (some of those may be legally question, even if possible). All of which you should know as a "15 years IT engineer". But more likely than not they're just guessing. – NotThatGuy Apr 30 '21 at 11:52
  • What some website does or does not do would probably be beyond the scope of this site, and something we can only speculate about, but websites do have a rather strong incentive to keep the data of their customers private (which is not to say anything about semi-anonymous data shared with advertisers): customers won't trust the product otherwise and would be more likely to switch to alternatives or limit usage of the product to the absolute bare minimum, and may even pursue legal action where possible (all of which are bad for business). – NotThatGuy Apr 30 '21 at 12:01
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    It could be that you've interviewed with multiple of the boss's friends or colleagues. Another possibility is that multiple headhunters have contacted *your company* presenting you as a great candidate who's actively looking for a job. – workerjoe Apr 30 '21 at 13:22
  • You didn't tell *anyone* (not even your close colleagues) if you're looking for a job or having interviews? Or having suspicious inactive time if the interviews were done on working days? (At this moment, this isn't an InfoSec issue anymore though) – Andrew T. Apr 30 '21 at 15:58
  • Is it possible that your boss/company is remotely using the laptops microphone and camera to monitor the room, even when you're not on the laptop? – reffu Apr 30 '21 at 17:59
  • Now it is conron virus time,everyone work at home, so no one know what we are doing. And I clearly know that they are monitoring slack, so really tell no one including my wife @AndrewT. – Elisa Apr 30 '21 at 18:24
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    No possible, now everyone work at home. And I myself install my Linux system, as 15 year IT engineer, I think I understand the rule. The unique possible is that because I interview. I need to switch my account from company to myself, so my boss could see I from time to time log off company Zoom account, If he notice. @reffu – Elisa Apr 30 '21 at 18:26
  • The obvious answer (which may be too obvious for most people to see) is "the recruitment agents told your boss". Well, they may not have told him *exactly* that, but "we are aware that some of your staff are job-hunting, so would you like us to recommend some good replacements when they leave?" Job hunters don't have morals, they just want to earn more commission! – alephzero May 02 '21 at 13:06
  • well, a good lesson for me now @alephzero – Elisa May 02 '21 at 19:38

3 Answers3

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Your boss is likely making assumptions. They can't read your messages on LinkedIn (unless you have your inmails forwarded to your work email and your company is monitoring your inbox....unlikely)

The data LinkedIn publishes suggests that 80% of its users are open to hearing about new career opportunities and these days if you can even spell security then you're likely already getting many inmails with recruiters hitting you up for jobs.

I think maybe your boss is just probing....Don't address it, it's not their business.

Josh Madrid
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    This. I get headhunter calls all the time despite I tell them all that I'm not looking for a job, unless it is something really special. What they think falls under that definition is funny. As a boss, I would definitely assume that all my people are getting offers on whatever job-related sites they are on and also probably by phone. It's a pretty safe assumption. – Tom Apr 30 '21 at 09:21
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    So, basically, it's just cold reading? Like the one psychics and mentalists use, first probing you with general questions which are likely to be true for the majority of people, and then getting more and more specific depending on how you react to them... – vsz Apr 30 '21 at 09:26
  • For information, check accepted answer, it wasn't a wild guess from the boss apparently. – Walfrat May 03 '21 at 14:00
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Your employer is possibly using a service like "Keeper" from HiQ Labs, which can provide forward-looking attrition risk analysis based on LinkedIn data.

Keeper analyses LinkedIn user data and can inform employers of employees who might be job seeking. This technology has received media attention since 2017 when an ongoing legal battle began between HiQ Labs & LinkedIn.

Since legal proceedings can force disclosure of technological methods and capabilities, I will include information regarding this dispute:

  • LinkedIn issued cease and desist orders to HiQ Labs.
  • LinkedIn made efforts to block HiQ activity.
  • HiQ files and prevails in motion for preliminary injunction in the Northern District of California.
  • LinkedIn files and loses appeal in Ninth Circuit.
  • LinkedIn Petitions the US Supreme Court (ongoing).
bsod
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    Wow, this is crazy. I'm not sure which side I'd like to win. On the one hand it is unacceptable for a service to reveal such private data of yours to anybody. One the other hand these private social media are endangering our private data and people need to know it. That service gives a perspective of what other analysis on our data is running on unofficially in even more shady areas. – akostadinov May 01 '21 at 20:12
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    shXt... I nearlly confirm what you said, because my boss work with one of this project sponsors!!!!!! Too crazy technology!!! – Elisa May 01 '21 at 23:42
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    @akostadinov I'm not sure how you define "private data". Quote from hiQ labs: "hiQ’s retention platform scours the web for any publicly available information about a company’s employees". People publish *a lot* about themselves. This company uses essentially pattern recognition in this **public data** to make predictions. You don't want people to know? Don't upload it. – Peter - Reinstate Monica May 02 '21 at 19:24
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    @Peter-ReinstateMonica, a lot of data is public, but it doesn't mean it is ethical or even legal to use it in such a way. If somebody is to monitor all my activity, where I go, what I do, what I'm buying from the shop, etc., what would you recommend? Don't go out from home? btw it is also a problem what others post about you, not only what you yourself post. In either case, people need to be more aware what can happen with their data. – akostadinov May 03 '21 at 12:43
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There is not only technology that can bring information about your job searching to your boss.

There is a couple of possible premises that can explain your case.
Without prior knowledge or by observing behavior patterns of employees looking for new opportunities, your boss might be probing you by making you believe he knows something, so depending on how you respond to him he can make an educated guess.

That is one of many assumptions.

elsadek
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    Sadly, this is not my case. After they told me they will fire me, they "casually mentioned that" I have 3 to 4 agents talking to me every day. So, they already make the decision first, and then tell me that sentence. – Elisa Apr 29 '21 at 22:30
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    Those agents might be acquainted to your boss entourage. – elsadek Apr 29 '21 at 22:46
  • comparing to the employee, because those "agents" are in "dark" side. If their moral could not control themselves, no one would believe them anymore @elsadek – Elisa Apr 30 '21 at 00:09