| Identity Theft in the Workplace |
| Clearing records, phone calls, police reports, restoring credit and credibility...Identity Theft...It's a nightmare no one wants to go through.
A recent study by Michigan State University showed that more than half of all identity thefts happen in the workplace. The annual cost of such identity thefts to consumers and corporations is around $50 billion, according to a provider of identity theft resolution services.
Workplace settings are attractive to identity theft criminals because they know that birth dates, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and other highly confidential pieces of information are stored there. Data security experts suggest that companies need to do several things to protect against these attacks:
- Be mindful of where sensitive information is stored and who has access to it. Work to limit access, educate employees on proper handling and protection of this data, and encrypt it whenever possible.
- Collect only necessary information in as few places for as long as is required; dispose of it responsibly once it is no longer needed.
- Implement a thorough background screening program. The best way to prevent these identity theft workplace incidents is to know who you are hiring for positions where employees have access to co-workers' personal information.
Go to www.USABackgroundSearch.com for more information on how you can start a background screening program today!
(Source: http://www.hreonline.com) |
