25% Growth this Year: The Possible Dream

As a background checking company, you should be growing at a real nice pace. A 10% growth rate in a lot of industries would be praised, but in our industry this is failure. Is 25% or more growth really within the realm of the possible if you are only a $1,000,000 sales company. The recent KPMG study of the background screening industry stated that 50% of companies were looking at sales increases in the 10-25% range and 39% felt they would grow by more than 25%. Seem impossible?

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We will be running a Special for PreemploymentDirectory’s Vendor Showcase and for the International Section. Visit our booth to check out the special deals, win AMEX gift card or Starbucks coffee card or just to say hello.

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902 East 5th Street Suite 101 Austin Texas, 78701 (v) 888.690.9297 (f) 512.485.3111 sales@deverus.com

What if you could give HR exactly what they really want? What if you had the cutting edge solutions to the most pressing issues, the best technology and expert team to make it happen? deverus is the leader in technology solutions for the background check industry. From the most powerful industry software applications and data exchange solutions to process consulting and tools that connect disparate background data sources, we enable background check companies to deliver more of what HR wants, quickly and profitably. Call us today to find out how we can help 888.690.9297

7th Circuit: Data destruction may have violated computer hacker law

Under the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), an employer can sue a former employee who, after he quit, installs and operates a computer program to delete company data on his company-assigned laptop, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The case involved International Airport Centers LLC (IAC) filing a complaint alleging that an employee that decided to quit his job and go into business for himself loaded onto his company issued laptop a secure erasure program that would prevent the recovery of any data he deleted; he also deleted all of the company data on the computer, as well as other data that would have shown that he engaged in improper conduct while working for the company. After getting the laptop back and learning of the employee’s apparent data destruction, the firm filed a lawsuit against him in federal district court. It alleged that the employee’s conduct violated the CFAA, and that it was entitled to at least statutory damages as a result.

http://www.shrm.org/hrnews_published/archives/CMS_016249.asp

Breach and Data Security Bill Passes In House

On the heels of reports of high-profile breaches of individual data information, the House Financial Services Committee approved a bill last week aimed at protecting consumers from identity theft and credit-card fraud. The bill, H.R. 3997, stipulates requirements for companies to investigate breaches and notify law enforcement and consumers. With respect to one of the more controversial provisions of the bill, it would also set a national standard for data security that preempts state laws—a position strongly promoted by the financial industry.

For More Information go to: http://www.nacm.org/

HRTutor.com the e-commerce solution of The Human Equation.

HRTutor.com, a pioneer in the delivery of affordable, online training, is pleased to offer a Background Screening & Violence Prevention Suite, built with the guidance and expertise of W. Barry Nixon, SPHR of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc.. This suite of courses offers 5 PHR Recertification credits and is designed for individuals responsible for background screening processes, violence prevention, and overall risk management and safety in the workplace.

Special Introductory Pricing - receive a 10% discount when you go to http://www.hrtutor.com/en/purchase.aspx?fromid=9111 and enter the code NOVIOLENCE during checkout.

We are pleased to be able to offer the same discount to your clients if you would like to share this training suite information with them.

Self-Govern or Be Governed: How CRA's Can Secure Personally Identifiable Information (Part II)
By Dave Malmstedt, CEO, Vincera, Inc.

The House of Representatives recently passed a Data Breach and Security bill aimed at regulating the beleaguered consumer report industries after 2005 which is being referred to ‘as the year of the information breach.’ The governmental appears to be determine to implement HIPAA-type legislation for Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA's), placing the legal responsibility for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) security squarely on the shoulders of information aggregators and providers. Under the new laws, even data obtained from public record sources will likely be required to be secured from illicit use, theft, and tampering during data transfer and storage. This article details what you can do by using available tools to implement appropriate controls to secure the integrity of the PII you must transmit and to minimize the risk to your business.
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Privacy Expert Warns Businesses: ''Failure to Confront Reality'' of Consumer Fears is Risky

The quest to capture, store and analyze massive amounts of consumer information offers tremendous opportunities to serve consumers and grow profits, but cavalier or inappropriate uses of the data can jeopardize the very future of a business. "We live in a time of growing concern over how information about consumers is collected, used and protected," Acxiom® Corp. Chief Privacy Officer Jennifer Barrett said. "Failure to confront that reality will put your brand and profits at risk." The privacy expert said failure to follow good data management practices has not only hurt the reputation of many businesses, it has sparked consumers' fears and prompted calls for more regulation.For More Information go to: http://www.securitydealernetwork.com/stevens/secdelpub.nsf/
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How businesses can protect computer data

The irreplaceable jewels of most businesses these days are not equipment and inventory, but information. And too many small businesses aren't adequately protecting those jewels against the epidemic of identity and information theft, said Ron Williams, chief executive of Talon Executive Services. Consider:

• The security of computerized personal data of 56.2 million people was compromised in 2005.
• Federal law holds employers liable for loss or theft of employee information. Federal fines can be $2,500 per employee.
• Fifty-one percent of identity thefts are done by employees or contractors inside a company.

Companies can take protective action without spending a lot of money to prevent the theft of proprietary information, trade secrets and personal data, say Williams and Todd Stefan, president of Talon Cyber Tec LLC, a related company to Talon Executive Services specializing in computer security. They have plenty of experience. Williams' 22 years with the Secret Service included a stint in the credit-card and identity-theft section. Stefan is a pioneer in information security used by many large corporations. Here are easy, inexpensive steps they say even small firms can do.

For More Information go to: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/business/13904376.htm

We are making the prime location on the landing page of the Preemployment Screening Directory available to a limited number of companies to promote their business (exclusively available to Platinum members). We will feature your logo with a live link that goes directly to your web site.

India's hottest jobs!

India is growing fast. China is growing faster. Together they will account for more than a quarter of world GNP by 2025. Two recent data snapshots illustrate that puzzle, one concerning the job market and the other measuring the confidence of business leaders in the two countries. Worldwide, two out of five employers are having difficulty filing positions, according to a 23-country survey released by employment services firm Manpower this week. In India, only one in seven bosses reports such problems. In China, however, one in four employers reports difficulty in finding staff, with production operators in shortest supply--in contrast to India, where sales reps are the labor market's hot commodity. Regardless of the ease of finding staff both of these remain strong for employment prospects.

Click Here For More Information: http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/24forbes.htm

Selection Protection for Canadian Employers

Although the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and their offspring, "the war on terror," have raised our security sensitivity to unprecedented heights, the business world is still not paying sufficient attention to matters of security at various levels, one of the most porous being in hiring practices. As companies install video cameras, erect fences and spend millions on secure access systems, it is equally important to be armed and prepared for a few unscrupulous people, these scoundrels who tend to show up for the interview dressed in sheep's clothing, making great noises with forked tongues of silver. And aren't they also very quiet and unassuming? It's difficult to know who they are, so mitigating risk in the recruitment, selection and assessment process extends to one obvious critical and often overlooked component: professional background due diligence. We're talking, in other words, about: selection protection. The advent of privacy legislation at federal and provincial levels is a golden opportunity for companies to review and implement sound professional background due diligence policies and procedures for candidates under consideration for employment. This is essential from lower levels right up to the executive suite. Organizations are, of course, legal entities that owners and directors have a fiduciary responsibility and obligation to protect. With the rising interest in, and insistence upon corporate governance these days, sound professional background due diligence is doubly important.

This article is available to Premier, Corporate and Student Members of www.HR.com

Government Tightens School Vetting Procedures

LONDON: Employers who fail to check the background of staff working with children will face a fine of up to £5,000 as part of tough new vetting procedures announced yesterday. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly published the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill after a furious row earlier this year over how some registered sex offenders had been granted dispensation to teach in British schools. Under the new rules, employers will be committing an offence if they employ people to work with children and vulnerable adults without checking their background. In the most serious case, any employer found guilty of appointing someone who they knew to be barred could face five years in prison. As part of the vetting process, employers will have access to a new online database which holds the names of adults who have been convicted or cautioned for sex offences. Parents will also be able to check the background of private tutors, nannies and care workers. All decisions on barring will be made by an independent body and not by ministers, as was previously the case. People placed on the list will have the right to appeal.

Form more information go to: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=74980&version=1&template_id=38&parent_id=20

More EU Countries To Open Doors To East European Workers

Last Month, Finland became the fourth member of the “old” European Union to throw open its doors to workers from the newest EU countries. Beginning May 1, 2006, Finland will permit workers from the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004 (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, collectively known as the EU10) to seek employment without obtaining a work permit. Instead, new arrivals will simply be required to register with the Finnish government. EU observers expect Spain and Portugal to soon follow suit, with the Netherlands and Greece also considering the idea.

Form more information go to: http://www.shrm.org/global/library_published/subject/nonIC/CMS_016102.asp

More U.S. firms recruit foreign workers, SHRM finds

The worsening worldwide talent shortage is leading a growing number of U.S. employers to recruit skilled workers from overseas and is setting the stage for a tough political battle as Congress considers ways to alter immigration policies. More than one-quarter of the respondents to SHRM 2006 Access to Human Capital and Employment Verification Survey released March 13 by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at its Employment Law and Legislative Conference in Washington reported that their organizations recruit skilled workers from outside the United States. They said that one of their primary reasons was the lack of candidates in the United States who possess the education, competencies or skills to perform the jobs they have vacant. The 489 human resource professionals who responded to the cited overall professionalism, analytical skills, business knowledge and written and verbal communication as the skills most desired, but also the most lacking among today’s job candidates. More than 25 percent of the HR professionals said they believed that there is also a shortage of qualified candidates for jobs that require skills in science, engineering and mathematics.

Form more information go to: http://www.shrm.org/hrnews_published/archives/CMS_016186.asp#P-8_0

Deliver Your Company Information Directly to Decision Makers in Europe

We are creating a special CD-ROM that will feature a limited number of Background Screening firm’s to be distributing in Nice, France at the ASIS International European Annual Conference and Business Forum’s International ‘s Employment Vetting Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is a great opportunity to have your company information put directly in the hands of decision makers in Europe and the international community.

Click here for more information, SPECIAL ALERT – We have added two more conferences where the CD-ROM will be distributed - Business Forum’s International ‘s Employment Vetting Conferences in New York and London.

Purchase a Platinum membership in March and Get a Fantastic ‘2 for 1’ Deal

When you sign up for the International Directory on CD-ROM you will also get a 12 month Platinum listing in PreemploymentDirectory.com in the International Section with the full benefits of a Platinum member.
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Click here for more information about advertising in The Background Buzz and PreemploymentDirectory.com (Sections: US Provider, International, Vendor Showcase.)

SHRM 20006 Annual Employment Management Association Conference & Exposition, March 30-April 1, 2006, Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, CA – see www.shrm.org/conferences/ema/expo.asp

2006 Annual NAPBS Conference, April 2-5, 2006, Doubletree Nashville, Nashville, TN – see http://www.napbs.com/calendar/calendar.htm

Business Forums International’s 2nd Annual European Pre-Employment Vetting & Screening Conference -16 June 2006 – Copenhagen, www.bfi.co.uk