Practical UNIX and Internet Security, 3rd Edition

Background Checks

When you hire new employees, check their backgrounds. You may have candidates fill out application forms, but then what do you do? At the least, you should check all references given by each applicant to determine his past record, including reasons why he left those positions. Be certain to verify the dates of employment, and check any gaps in the record. One story we heard involved an applicant who had an eight-year gap in his record entitled “independent consulting.” Further research revealed that this “consulting” was being conducted from inside a federal prison cell—something the applicant had failed to disclose, no doubt because it was the result of a conviction for computer-based fraud. Another case involved a four-time offender convicted of computer intrusion charges performing IT consulting for a local police department through a consulting firm.

You should also verify any claims of educational achievement and certification: stories abound of individuals who have claimed to have earned graduate degrees from prestigious universities that have no records of those individuals ever completing a class. Other cases involve degrees from “universities” that are little more than a post office box.

Consider that an applicant who lies to get a job with you is not establishing a good foundation for future trust.

Intensive Investigations

In some instances you may want to make more intensive investigations of the character and background of the candidates. You may want ...