IT security professionals occupy a genuine seat of power in their organizations, and most also handle sensitive data daily. We explain the best background checks to use on IT security job applicants.
In today’s digital age, businesses are heavily reliant on technology, and IT security professionals play a critical role in safeguarding sensitive data and secure systems. As such, it is critical to ensure that these team members undergo comprehensive background checks before they are hired. The right pre-employment screening not only helps to establish the credibility of a person but also mitigates the risk of insider threats, fraud, and data breaches.
The recommended screening for IT security positions includes identity verification, credit history, employment history, and criminal background checks. Identity verification checks are thorough searches to validate social security numbers, names, birth dates, aliases, and prior address history. These checks ensure that the candidate is who they claim to be. Likewise, employment history checks are crucial for verifying that applicants have not misrepresented their tenure with other organizations.
Credit history checks are essential for IT security professionals who may have access to financial data. These checks help to determine the candidate’s current financial status, including accounts, delinquencies, and other significant financial issues. However, criminal background checks are perhaps the most critical and comprehensive background checks for IT security professionals. These checks look for any criminal history, including those from federal, state, county, and international levels. The goal is to identify whether the candidate is on any watch lists or has any past criminal issues that could compromise the business’s security.