Protect your CV
Andrew Shanahan
- January 2009.
For anyone applying for a job there are more than a few things to be concerned about. Not only do you need to worry that you’ve got the right skills and experience to do the job, but you also need to make sure that you are presenting yourself in the best way possible.
With all this to contend with it’s unsurprising that worrying about the potential for ID theft is one of the furthest things from most job applicants’ minds. However a recent campaign by the people behind the iProfile has shown that sending out your CV can potentially be a quick path to ID fraud.
On average ID fraudsters need less than five pieces of information and CVs routinely include up to eight pieces of information.
Giving it away
The Secure Your CV campaign was run after an investigation by the company revealed that many job-hunters are being far too free and easy with the data that they give away during applications and judging by their findings it seems that it’s an issue that all job-hunters need to be aware of.
To prove their point they posted a fake job advert for a bogus company called Denis Atlas. A cursory web search would have revealed the company’s home page explaining that it was all a fake and yet over 100 hopeful job-hunters still sent their CVs in. Of this number nearly all the applicants revealed some form of information that could have given ID fraudsters a way in.
It’s a scary thought that on average ID fraudsters need less than five pieces of information and CVs routinely include up to eight pieces of information that they can use, including a person’s full name, their address and date of birth. From the job applications sent to Denis Atlas many people had included far more than the fraudsters would need, including one whose CV had both his passport and NI numbers.
Weak link
Bob Turney is a reformed ID fraudster and he says that CVs are a weak link for many people who are otherwise ID savvy, ‘Whilst many people routinely shred bank statements and utility bills, they seem happy to send their CV to complete strangers,’ he explained. ‘They must realise just how easy it is to use the information in a CV to set up bank accounts or credit cards fraudulently.’
Neil Fisher, Vice President of the Information Assurance Advisory Council says that job applicants need to remember that information is a precious commodity. ‘Many people are happy to send their CVs “blind” without thinking about the consequences if their information fell into the wrong hands.’ His message of caution is confirmed by Detective Superintendent Russell Day from the Economic and Specialist Crime Command of the Metropolitan Police who says that there is “a growing threat” of online ID fraud. ‘We advise everyone not to post personal details on the internet which could collectively be used to clone your identity.’
Choose strong passwords using a mix of letters, symbols and numbers, this means that it’s harder for a fraudster to simply guess your password.
Follow the rules
At this time of year when your New Year’s resolutions might see you determined to get a new job it’s important to bear in mind that it’s still perfectly safe to send out your CV, provided you follow some simple rules which make the fraudsters job as hard as possible. A simple rule that will help in all situations is to choose strong passwords using a mix of letters, symbols and numbers, this means that it’s harder for a fraudster to simply guess your password. As an added defence try and avoid using the same password for each site.
When it comes to applying for jobs you should be researching the companies that you send your CV out to as a matter of course to make sure that your application is tailored for maximum effect, but at the very least you should avoid sending out your CV before establishing who is receiving it.
Finally, make an effort to minimise the sensitive information on your CV - a date of birth is no longer required (after anti-discrimination legislation was brought in to protect discrimination on the basis of age) and it’s perfectly acceptable to omit certain information, such as your referees’ contact details. And if you’ve got your passport number or NI number on your CV then you might find that you’re not just giving the fraudsters too much information but the HR departments as well.
Further information
Suggestions to editorial@prospects.ac.uk
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