Earlier this month Monster.com reported that as many as 1.3 million users may have been affected when its datbases were breached. Now according to a story on ZDNET Monster is reporting that it may have been much worse. Chief Executive Sal Iannuzzi said “We’re assuming it is a large number. It could easily be in the millions.” They went from 1.3 million to, eh were just gonna assume it’s a large number.

Now if you go to Monster.com they have a “Security Notice” up that says “Monster has learned of an email scam targetting SOME Users. SOME! How about MILLIONS, Sal! When you click on the warning you get a long drawn out explanation and this little gem thrown in “The Company has determined that this incident is not the first time Monster’s database has been the target of criminal activity.” Oh well ok then as long as it’s not the first time. Why don’t they just put up a giant banner that says HURRRRRRRR!! DUHHHHHH!

My employer Crimcheck.com is now offering completely legal FBI background checks. We have recently obtained permission from Ohio BCI and the FBI to use a fingerprint scanner that in most cases will return a criminal record check within two days and in many cases within hours. The process used to take weeks and a fingerprint card had to be filled out. This process is much easier and cleaner. If you are interested please contact Ryan Sherman at Crimcheck.com ryan@crimcheck.com .

You may have seen my post about the legality of conducting MySpace and FaceBook background checks. I just happened to come across a funny video from YouTube that addresses this issue. Take a look and have a laugh.

I just had a chance to go over to a web site called How To Deal With Creepy People. It is brought to you by the same people as Perverted Justice. It is mainly aimed at teenagers, but can be very useful for anybody that may going through any type of bullying or cyber stalking. Take a look, they even have a blog and a news section on the latest creepy people in the news.

A due diligence check is an excellent tool to use before entering into a business relationship with another individual or business.  A due diligence check is a comprehensive check used most often for verifying the qualifications of an executive or a company with whom you are considering entering into a business relationship or agreement with.  Due diligence checks can also be used for medical personnel, pilots, teachers, engineers and other professional who require professional credentials or licensing in order to perform their job.  Without the proper professional licensing, an individual or business is not qualified to participate in the transaction or do business.  Before entering into any business transaction or any other business relationship, it is essential to protect yourself from fraud by conducting a thorough due diligence check of all involved parties.

Utilizing a due diligence search is the most efficient, convenient and effective way to prevent business to business fraud.  One of the leading causes of business to business fraud is doing business with someone who is not who they say they are.  This risk can easily be reduced by making a due diligence check a regular part of your pre-employment and pre-contractual repertoire.  A typical due diligence check involves surveying data from numerous federal and state databases and regulators pertaining to professional licensing and registration.  Further, a due diligence check will also provide a comprehensive background check, including a multiple jurisdiction and federal criminal background search, civil litigation search, search of property and business ownership, and personal and professional reference verifications.  The result is that you will have a comprehensive understanding of the individual or business’ background before entering into a relationship or transaction with them.  This information will give you the confidence you need to make sound business and hiring decisions. 

Performing a due diligence check is both simple and efficient.  One of the most convenient ways to run a due diligence check is to utilize the services of a professional background check company.  By using a professional background check company, you will have access to their due diligence search engine and the multiple databases it is capable of searching.  Prior to agreeing to a business relationship, you simply log onto the professional background check website or other computer program and enter such identity verification information as the individual’s name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, drivers’ license and telephone number.  To perform a due diligence check of another business, simply enter the company’s name, tax identification number, address and telephone number.  Once this information is entered, the due diligence check will automatically search the relevant databases, comparing the entered information with the data found in the databases.  The results will show you whether there are any discrepancies with the individual or business that may prevent you from wanting to conduct business with them.  If the due diligence check returns any information that calls into questions the individual or business’ qualifications, credentials or honesty, then you should think twice about doing business with them or risk being a victim of fraud.

What would you do if an employee made a comment like this one? “I started to grab her by the throat and choke her, until the top part of her head popped off.Then I was going to step on her throat and pluck her bozo hairdo bald. Strand by strand….”

Believe it or not this was from a real threat assesment performed by the FBI in response to a problem employee. Take a look at the provided PDF file called Workplace Violence Issues in Response.

State Representative Shirley Smith of

Ohio wants you to hire felons. Not only felons but felons that have been convicted multiple times! Senate Bill 197 would allow any repeat offender who has committed low-level felonies or misdemeanors, then stayed out of trouble for five years, to ask a judge and prosecutor to seal his criminal record. Now, if the prosecutor or judge denied the request they would have to give a valid reason why and prove their case. Not only is this a stupid idea for the obvious reasons but imagine the resources prosecutors would need to just deny sealing a record of a multiple felon. Let’s also look at some of the low level felonies that could be involved. DUI: If a person has multiple DUI convictions they can get them expunged and end up working for a trucking company or as a delivery driver. Assault: If the subject has misdemeanor or felony assault charges they may still get hired. They could just be a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Identity Theft: Hey just what I want, a convicted identity thief managing my money at the “First National Bank of You’re Screwed”. If all of that isn’t enough to make your skin crawl, what’s a business owner to do when one of their employees goes off the deep end and guns down the entire office? Do you think the families of the victims are going to care that the records were “sealed” and that they had to hire the previously convicted felon? Just wait until this happens and the media gets a hold of this information.

I can understand the fact that everyone deserves a second chance, but why does it always have to be at the expense of taxpayers and business owners, especially when we are discussing criminals that have been convicted multiple times. Please go to the Ohio Senate webpage and tell them just how BAD of an idea this is.

An essential step in creating and maintaining a safe workplace environment is to implement a drug free workplace policy.  A drug free workplace policy is a written employment policy that clearly states the expectations of the company that all employees remain drug and alcohol free.  The mixing of drugs and alcohol with work can be the cause of a variety of damages, including personal and financial injury.  In order to enforce the company’s drug free workplace policy, employee drug testing must be conducted.

Employee drug testing is a complicated subject.  Not only are there numerous methods of performing effective employee drug testing, there are also many laws that regulate the use of employee drug testing.  The first step in implementing an employee drug testing policy is to evaluate and determine what your company’s exact employee drugs testing needs are.  To do this, determine what your business’ drug abuse risk is.  For example, if you have noticed a decrease in productivity or an increase in employee-caused accidents, you will want to focus your employee drug testing protocol on solving these problems.  In these situations, using random employee drug testing may be your best option. 

The second step in implementing an employee drug testing policy to understand the applicable law relating to employee drug testing.  Depending on the state your company is in and the type of work your company does, various state and federal laws may effect how employee drug testing can be done.  Since the area of employee drug testing and employee privacy rights is a rapidly evolving area of the law, it is highly recommended you seek the professional legal advice of a qualified attorney who can help you understand how to set up a legal employee drug testing program. 

Once you know what your employee drug testing need is and what the relevant employee drug testing laws are, the third step is to decide what type of employee drug testing system you want to implement.  There are many different methods of performing employee drug testing and each have their own individual advantages and disadvantages.  For example, your company can chose between using random employee drug testing or regularly scheduled employee drug testing.  Further, employee drug testing, whether random or scheduled, can be performed using a variety of different procedures.  For example, you can use urine, saliva, sweat or hair samples for employee drug testing.  

Usually employee drug testing is only valid if performed by a medical professional.  Therefore, it is highly advised that your company hire a professional employee drug testing business to perform all of your employee drug testing needs.  Such companies as Background Network can coordinate professional testing labs, medical review professionals and accurate reports to ensure your employee drug testing is done efficiently and effectively.  Using a nationwide network of OSHA, ODAT and NODA compliant drug testing labs, a national network of collection sites, and pre-employment physical examinations, a professional employee drug testing company will get you the employee drug testing information and services you need to ensure you operate a drug free and safe workplace.

If you are involved in a financial-related business, it is essential that you protect your business’ financial well-being by hiring qualified and trustworthy employees.  An applicant’s personal credit and financial history can help tell you a great deal about whether or not the applicant is qualified for the job.  A pre-employment credit check allows you to access this financial information and make an informed hiring decision.

Knowing a potential hire’s personal credit history can provide you with valuable information about the individual’s financial status.  For instance, by performing a pre-employment credit check you can learn about the applicant’s financial habits, which provide a valuable prediction of what their financial habits will be as an employee.  If an individual has a poor personal credit history, they will more likely than not be financially responsible as an employee.  Essentially, a pre-employment credit check will give you access to information pertaining to an applicant’s ability to meet financial obligations and what type of financial pressure they are personally under.  Using a pre-employment credit check gives you a clear picture of how the individual applicant handles their own personal funds and thus provides you with a reflection of how the are likely to handle your company’s financial responsibilities and needs.  All of this information is invaluable to making the right decision on whom to hire.�
A pre-employment credit check is conducted by a professional credit check company.  To conduct a pre-employment credit check, you simply enter such information as the applicant’s full name, address, date of birth and social security number into the credit check company’s credit check search engine.  Most pre-employment credit checks are now conducted via an online program.  Once entered, the pre-employment credit check will survey numerous databases contained by various credit information companies and is done in accordance to the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s various rules and regulations.  Once the pre-employment credit check is complete, you will be provided a list of both current and previous credit accounts held by the applicant, including a complete payment history and current status for each account.  Further, the pre-employment credit check will provide you with information pertaining to any credit-related legal actions (both pending and closed), bankruptcies, and any other noteworthy credit-related activities.

By conducting a pre-employment credit check, you will have access to invaluable financial information about an applicant that can be used to predict what type of employee they will be if hired.  This information is of particular importance to any business involved in banking or other financial endeavors.  If a pre-employment credit check shows the job applicant has a history of being unable to manage their own personal finances, chances are they will not be able to manage the finances of your business.  Instead of finding this out after the fact, a pre-employment credit check acts as a preemptive screening tool that can effectively sift out potential problems before they are even given the change to become a problem.

Hi folks,
Sorry there have not been any recent updates as of late. I have been in the process of fixing my computer, a Dell. I have had several Dells and this one has given me the most problems. I thought I was having some video card issues and as it turns out the entire motherboard was messed up. Now, you can’t just go and throw any old motherboard in a Dell BTX case because that would be way too simple. Sooo, long story short: I needed to get a new case, new video card, new heat sink, and a new motherboard. The great thing is though I now have pretty much a brand new computer that kicks butt! I am now sitting here downloading Vista (I know, I know) and waiting to install that. Meanwhile the new beast is sitting here quietly humming away doing it’s job with out one complaint so far (knock on fiberboard).