Data security breaches increased in 2008

How secure is your network?  Reading the article below will hopefully reinforce the importance of working with a recruiter.  Unless this is your forte, you’re probably asking yourself where to begin diagnosing the health of your system and security processes. In my network I represent all levels of I.T. security professionals…all you need to do is contact me with any questions and I will connect you with the right expert to help you avoid potentially damaging data breaches.

Study: Data breaches rose in 2008

Posted by Elinor Mills

Reports of data breaches in the United States increased 47 percent in 2008 from the year before, mostly as a result of lost or stolen equipment, and accidental exposure of data online, according to a new study from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.

There were 656 reports of breaches last year, compared with 446 for 2007, and an estimated 35.7 million records were potentially breached based on notification letters and information from breached companies, the study released this week found.

The breaches run the gamut, including: laptops stolen from Merrill Lynch and Starbucks; bank card information stolen from fake card readers at gas stations in Georgia; Ohio State University student Social Security numbers exposed on the Internet; a former Library of Congress employee using co-workers’ data to open bogus credit card accounts; a Seattle school district inadvertently releasing teacher data to a union; financial information on mortgage files abandoned outside a Boise recycling center; and the World Bank Group’s computer network being penetrated.

The reports of insider theft more than doubled to represent 15.7 percent of the breaches, while more than a third of the breaches were a result of data on the move, such as stolen laptops, and accidental exposure.

Breaches from data theft by employees doubled, to nearly 16 percent, while hacking and use of data-stealing software represented about 14 percent of the breaches. Only 2.4 percent of all breaches had encryption or other protection methods in use, and only 8.5 percent of victims using password protection.

More than 80 percent of the breaches were electronic in nature, with the rest involving paper documents.

The breaches are broken into five different data loss categories and industry areas.

(Credit: Identity Theft Resource Center)

Who’s YOUR agent?

To some employers, there are only two types of workers: “permanent” and “temporary”.  Would you agree with me that in these shaky economic times, the term permanent holds little clout?  When you can throw a stone and hit any number of businesses in your community that have recently undergone down-sizing, RIFs, and other cutback measures, is there really such a thing as security and permanence when it comes to employment?

What does the word temp mean to you?  Is that a word you’d use to describe yourself at this point in your career?  Whether you’re self-employed or not, full-time or part-time, I hear the same lament from candidates every day who are reeling from the shock of finding themselves on the job market with no prior warning.  To associate-level and senior-level candidates alike, if you don’t immediately have a recruiter to call on for help when you need it, you may feel like someone whose house has just burned to the ground – and you didn’t have insurance.

Insurance is a great way to describe an effective recruiter/candidate relationship.  Recruiters, like architects, accountants, and attorneys, provide insurance to their clients by doing all the heavy lifting for them.  Any of you reading this blog could argue that you are more than capable of finding a job by yourself, without the aid of a recruiter.  I’ll use myself as an example.  I am a highly capable, efficient, organized, and determined woman.  There’s very little that I haven’t accomplished once I set my mind to it. Do I think that, given the right tools, materials, and knowledge base, I could build my dream house with my own hands?  Do my own taxes, and my friends’ and family’s taxes while I’m at it?  Or (heaven forbid) represent myself in a court case?  Of course I do!  Now…do I have the time to learn everything I’d need to learn to do each of these things successfully?  Maybe…if I don’t mind missing out on large chunks of my life in the process.

My point is that in this age of technological complexity made simple, when life throws us a surprise curve,  we do what makes the most sense.  Instead of trying to deal with the issue ourselves, we reach out to someone who is more knowledgeable in that area and let that specialist do the heavy lifting for us.  This is exactly what my candidates and my clients rely on me for.

A good recruiter treats every person she works with as an individual, and seeks to gain unique insight about that candidate before attempting to place him.  Most of you readers have been called by an out-of-area recruiter, talking a mile-a-minute, ready to offer you the “perfect opportunity!”  It’s those folks who have given recruiters a bad name over the years – the ones who treat candidates not as a valuable investment, but a mere obstacle that must be tackled and dragged to the finish line in order for the recruiter to win his money.

At the end of the day, we all can agree that despite our most altruistic efforts, we work because we need to earn a living.  But, I think the main thing that sets a good recruiter apart from the others is purpose.  A recruiter who is solely money-motivated will come across as a breezy, fast-talking, used-car salesman who will say whatever it takes to make a placement happen, regardless of any indications that the placement may not be in the best interest of the candidate or the client.  These types of recruiters treat all their candidates as temps.  To them, a candidate is only as good as the fee over his head.

My purpose is to improve the operations of my clients by connecting them with best of breed technologists.  I’m grateful every day to be able to help the people I represent realize their potential and achieve their goals.  With each successful placement, I am reminded that by doing what I love, I’m fulfilling my purpose.

I’m curious to know – what type of experiences have you had with recruiters?  Do you feel your skills and your needs were accurately represented by your recruiter? How do you feel the recruiter/candidate or recruiter/client relationship can be improved?

Open Letter to a Candidate

If you’re a technologist, chances are at some point in your career you’ve dealt with a recruiter. With your unique preferences and experiences, I’d be hard-pressed to assume that every interaction you’ve had with a recruiter was a positive one. This is precisely why I’m so glad you’ve chanced upon my blog. Now that you’re here, allow me to tell you a bit about myself.

Technology is my passion. I don’t use it as a measure of convenience (although it certainly simplifies my life). It’s much deeper than that for me. I love watching my Gen X contemporaries, along with the Millenials entering the work force today, continuously accelerate the momentum of innovation by devising alternative methods of performing traditional tasks.  The ever-diminishing gap between information technology and human communication is infinitely fascinating to me!  I’m currently in a degree program for eBusiness Management, not because I have all the spare time in the world to take this on (!), but because I want to know what you know, and be able to do what you do… not in a superficial “I know all the buzzwords, I can talk the talk” way, but in an educated, informed way that celebrates our shared appreciation for I.T.  Without this foundation of reciprocal knowledge and interest in technology, I’d feel like a poser calling myself your agent.

I’m a recruiter not because it pays my bills, but because I click with people like you.  I’ve been in I.T. since before Y2K.  I’ve placed people when the market was up, and have managed to continue finding jobs for people in a downturn.  I am able to find you the job you really want because I take the time to understand what you excel at and what brings you joy, not just what you’ve been doing to pay your bills.  You are not “inventory” to me.  When we determine that I am to represent you, you become a part of my community, which means you’ll always have me in your corner.  (I am some of the best P.R. you’ll ever receive!)

Thank you for stopping by and for taking a minute to read about me!