Protecting Our Identity

It couldn’t be easier to select a topic for an ebook. People are hungry for information, and people are looking to the Internet to feed their hunger. After you’ve read this chapter, you will feel confident enough to choose your own topic, or you can literally pull your ebook topic directly from this ebook and use it! How’s that for a deal?

Observe what’s going on around you.

If you’re smart enough to read this book, you’re smart enough to look around you and determine what interests you and those around you. Think of what problems you’ve recently solved, and what kinds of problems others have had and solved. Any problem that has been solved in your world could easily be the subject of your next book. People love to read how other have solved a problem that they currently have.

So, brainstorm a list of problems in your life and in the lives of those around you. Your friend Bob lost his job? Your sister’s child had chicken pox? How did they cope or find solutions? While you’re at it, start another list of unsolved problems evident in your corner of the world. Write down problems you wish you had solved. Aha! These are subjects that people will really be interested in! How to lose the last ten pounds. The truth about UFOs. The straightest path to becoming a millionaire. From your personal corner, your step-granddaughter is pregnant at age 14? Your grocery bill is double what it used to be? Your roof leaks? These are problems waiting for ebook solutions!

These unsolved problems would also be great ebook topics. Remember, you don’t have to know the solution, just the topic. You’re going to get someone else to do the research and write the book for you. You will not actually be writing one word.

Spend a few minutes Googling

The Internet is a great way to find out what people are looking for at any given moment. You can search for almost anything. Google™ is a popular search engine you can use, or you can try any of the others like Yahoo!® or Mamma.com. Type in phrases like “top concerns of Americans,” “best-selling nonfiction topics,” or “popular how-to manuals.” Common worries of 2005.

And while you’re on the Internet…

Find out the most popular nonfiction books from the New York Times bestseller list, Amazon, and a Google search for ebooks. Your findings will tell you exactly what book subjects people are buying right now.

Try this. Go to www.amazon.com. From the tabbed menu running along the top of the Amazon home page, click “Top Sellers.”

I did this one day in September 2005 and found a Harry Potter book, several other fiction books, and titles such as Natural cures “they” won’t tell you about, How what you wear can change your life, How to profit from the demise of the dollar, and The official SAT study guide. I’ve paraphrased to some degree, but you get the idea.

Here’s what I learned just from spending a few minutes on Amazon that day. People are reading good fiction from already-best selling authors (Da Vinci Code, the Harry Potter series, and others). Secondly, Amazon buyers, buying over the Internet, are interested in nonfiction topics such as improving their lives and making more money. For these books, just about any author will do, even virtual unknowns or people who went to prison for lying to the American public.

And that quick visit only confirmed that the straightest route to ebook profits is in the nonfiction ebook market. This is for a number of reasons. Fiction readers tend to like to curl up in a chair with an actual book. Some of them attend book clubs where the physical books are brought around someone’s kitchen table with wine and cheese. Fiction readers tend to purchase from authors they’re already familiar with. Fiction can be more difficult to write and deliver well. Also, many of the classics in fiction are available as free ebooks. A reader interested in fiction could just download those. So stick with nonfiction unless you’re feeling particularly bold and experimental.

Here is some more good news, and if you didn’t already know this then you are going to be smiling big. Drum roll please… ideas are not copyrighted, therefore any idea you see, hear, or read anywhere anytime, is yours to use for an ebook! You can create books around the same ideas that are covered in the Amazon best seller list, and turnaround and create an ebook on the exact same subject!

Now, copyright law does protect the way ideas are expressed, so you want to make sure your hired author does not plagiarize or copy book text outright. And you cannot use the title word for word either. But there’s nothing stopping you from creating another book or ebook that covers the same subject with a different voice. It’s all as completely legal and guilt-free as nonfat Haagen Dazs. This is why looking at bestseller lists is a great way to get topic ideas.

Digging a little deeper

There are groups of people who are willing to buy nonfiction ebooks: hobbyists. At any given time, these people are looking for ways to spend their money on their hobbies. Their passion is your financial gain.

What avid hobbyists want will always make great ebook material. Note that I did not say what hobbyists need. You may have certain opinions on what exactly certain people should need or should read. But those are not necessarily good topics for immediate ebook profit. Those topics may be areas for you to dabble in at your leisure. However, if you want to make money at this, find out what niche groups want, and hit those groups with your ebook.

Find hobbyists and niche groups by searching the web for “popular hobbies,” “enthusiasts,” or “what America is buying.” Or, you can search specifically for forums and discussion groups for hobbyists. In the forums, people talk with each other to share ideas with one another. Often, they will exchange testimonials for equipment, upcoming events, and books.

One popular site where hobbyists go to talk to one another online is Yahoo!. Check it out. Go to www.yahoo.com. Click “groups.” On the groups page you’ll see a list of categories such as Business & finance, and Religion. For demonstration purposes, click on “Games.”

On the games screen, game subcategories are listed followed by numbers. The numbers indicate how many discussion forums are available for that subcategory. These numbers reveal a lot. Notice how “role playing games,” and “video & computer games” have factors of ten or in some cases factors of 100 more forums than other subcategories. “Wargaming” and “paintball” don’t even come close, although those categories are much more discussion-laden than “horseshoe pitching.”

For fun, one day I continued selecting subcategories until I arrived at a list of over a thousand (yes a thousand) discussion groups on Yahoo having to do with vampire role playing. Here’s how I got there: Games>>Role Playing Games>>Live Action>> World of Darkness>>Vampire: The Masquerade.

Some of the forums are open to new members, and you can join to read what everyone’s discussing. Once in the forum, you can review discussion threads from today, yesterday, or a year ago. Don’t go back too far if you want to find out the hottest possible ebook topics. You can participate in discussions if you like. FYI, do not drop into a discussion group just to market an ebook; hobbyists consider this spam and will drop you from the group.

When you read and/or participate, you’ll find out what this group is buying. All you have to do is skim to find out what questions they are asking each other about products or traveling or information. What they are interested in buying is a key piece of information because passionate consumers love to research before they buy. This is an immediate ebook market. Create a book on how to select the best this or that on the market, related to the current wants of the enthusiasts.

Enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes. Think brides-to-be, golfers, whitewater rafters, people who collect vintage baseball cards, wine connoisseurs, gardeners, frequent vacationers, video gamers, and parents who put their children into private tutoring, ballet, and violin lessons before age 3.

There are some hobbies that seem to continually attract enthusiasts, like playing golf, watching football, restoring old cars, and listening to music. These are classics. Then there are some hobbies that seem to come and go in waves, such as Red Hat Societies participation, snow boarding, or line dancing. Pick either a classic hobby or a fluctuating hobby in its peak season for your best odds.

A big market on the Internet is the 20-30 set. Here’s what they are doing right now, according to one survey. They’re snowboarding, wakeboarding, traveling, camping, listening to music, taking photographs. They’re drinking gourmet coffee, rock climbing, playing guitar, camping, dancing, looking for online love, shopping for computers and other electronics, attending sports events, studying the Bible, exercising, trying to find jobs, and watching movies. Any one of these subjects would make a great ebook with a buying market standing by.

How-to’s and hot topics

There is almost no limit whatsoever on the marketability of how-to books. Everyone wants an instruction manual, advice, and encouragement that they can do anything they read a how-to book for. Anything you know how to do, anything you’ve ever wanted to learn, or anything that’s teachable at all, can become a how-to ebook.

How-to books for hobbyists are a good way to go, and this overlaps with the discussion above. A hobby how-to ebook could be anything from how to build a home from hay bales to how to play Texas Hold ‘Em to how to understand Shakespeare.

One book publisher knows how hungry we are for how-to information, and has created a whole series of “Dummies” books around the market. Further, there are other similar book series’, and all of them are doing quite well! “The Everything” series, “Idiot’s Guide” series and others are all cashing in on the how-to phenomenon.

You could cash in by creating ebooks on any or all subjects covered in any of those series’. Go to www.dummies.com, and check out their list of titles. Pick one you like, and move full speed ahead!

Remember that even though the books have “Dummies” in the title, that the books are as popular as they are because the readers are not treated like dummies at all. The authors cater to a person who wants to find out the easiest way to do something without too much tangential discussion. When you have your ebook written and when you choose a title, make sure you are appealing to a reader’s smarts! If you use words like stupid, dumb, or hopeless in the title, make sure that it is clear that the meaning would not extend to insulting the individual reader.

Ebooks, because of their brevity and because they are marketed primarily on the Internet can target smaller audiences. You don’t have to write a universal book like How to use a computer (which may not be interesting enough to sell anyway in this decade). Ebooks can cover more specific territory. Knowing this, you can 1) create your ebook in a specific way for a specific niche readership, and 2) create additional ebooks for different facets of the same subject, and sell each one separately!

Say you’ve decided to write an ebook on fishing. (FYI, this is one of those hobbies where enthusiasts are willing to spend money!). You could create “How to Catch Freshwater Trout,” “How to Tie Your Own Flies,” or “How to Plan a Successful Deep Sea Fishing Trip.” Almost anything related to the hobby can become a separate ebook depending on how much detail you include. Clearly, “How to put on waders,” probably wouldn’t be a great choice (though some would say it’s impossible to underestimate today’s consumer), because you would have to strain to fill up 60 to 100 pages on such a simple topic. You get the idea. The topic would need to be, in most cases, book worthy. Use good judgment.

Then, life itself requires instructions, as we know from “Life’s Little Instruction Book.” So, life also qualifies as a good how-to book topic. There are numerous subtopics, and you’ll never run out of ideas. Here are a few examples:

· “How to ensure your child gets an A+ in math”

· “How to have a successful garage sale”

· “How to organize your home office”

And while we’re on the subject of how-to books, I’d like to make one quick point. The titles of these ebooks do not need to be incredibly clever. Be sure the words “How to” are the first part of the title, and the rest should tell exactly what the ebook is about.

For example, which of these three titles would be best?

1. “How to have a successful garage sale.”

2. “One weekend away from a cleaner house”

3. “How to sell your old shoes for a profit”

Although numbers 2 and 3 are clever, a little punchy, and correspond with the ebook content, I would still recommend using title number 1. “How to have a successful garage sale” sums it up pretty well and will catch the eye of an Internet surfer who is interested in putting together a garage sale and needs a how-to manual.

Anyway, back to the point. Any phase of life, way of coping with life, or large or small thing about life can be the subject of a how-to book.

Looking young

Perhaps sixteen year old girls don’t want to look younger, but from that point on, and for most of the population in Western society, looking young is a common desire. Everybody wants to find the fountain of youth, whether it be in a pill bottle, a special diet, surgery, or an ebook.

An ebook about staying or appearing young in the face of growing old will have a solid future. Here are some title ideas, and I’m sure you can come up with a truckload more.

· “Drop ten years and ten pounds in ten days”

· “How to look 28 forever”

· “100 ways to look younger”

· “Grocery store products that will help you look younger”

· “Look 30 again without surgery”

· “How to live to be 100″

This topic is red hot. Botox, surgery, chemical peels, lasers, diets, acupuncture, electronic pulses, mega vitamins, prescription teas, thigh cream, and teeth whiteners are being purchased by baby boomers, the elderly, and even women as young as 20 ! No one wants to look a day older than they have to.

Health

Health is a concern to anyone who is growing old or ill or faced illness with a loved one or wants more energy or, basically, everybody. Health ebooks are a good investment for you to make. And doctors don’t have to be the authors. Anyone with any credentials, or no crendetials at all, can write books on health. Just be sure you don’t claim to be a doctor if you’re not one.

Here are some health topics you can hit at this moment in time and be almost guaranteed immediate interest, readership, and sales!

Disease prevention and cure.As our baby boomer population ages, most will be afflicted with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, or some other malady. Give these people some hope. Create an ebook on how to cope, how to find the best practitioners, how to avoid disease triggers, or cures American doctors are unaware of.

Natural remedies. People are curious about alternatives to standard medicine, and are anxious to try herbal, natural, or holistic treatments. Create a book on any disease that covers alternative cures. For example, “How to Treat Lymphoma, Naturally.” Or, you could just address natural supplements in general, “The best natural remedies for common ailments,” or “Holistic health.”

Diet. What we eat is always a hot topic. There are literally dozens if not hundreds of diet fads currently out there. Pick any one of them for an ebook. Then there’s obesity, general health, and also diet supplements like vitamins. Think “How to equip your kitchen for macrobiotic dieting.” Or, “Eat to cure cancer.”

Travel

Never has so much travel been available to so many. People today want to get in touch with the people they love. They want to experience different parts of the world. See exotic things. Be entertained. Also, because, especially in America, adults sometimes work well more than 40 hours a week, people need really good vacations. They’re doing their research to make sure that they will really enjoy their precious few weeks off each year.

Here are some topics for you: how to trade frequent flyer miles, how to keep airport security off your back, how to travel on a dime and get change, and how to keep your children happy on long car trips.

Beyond the how-to’s, there is plenty of room for books like, the best amusement parks for your money, top 100 campgrounds, things you must see and do in Utah before you die, and free things to do when visiting Washington, D.C.

Get the idea? The good thing about creating travel ebooks is that you may already know a lot about a place that other people may be interested in visiting. Makes it easy!

Money

Money makes the world go around (well that and the earth’s axis and planetary forces), and so it would make sense that ebooks would abound on the topic of money. They do, but the market is nowhere near saturated. There’s always room for more. From getting rich to just saving money day-to-day, people are always interested in how-to books related to money. Ideas below:

· “How to feed your family on less than $40 a week”

· “How to get free stuff”

· “How to pay almost no taxes”

· “How to buy a retirement home for no money down”

· “How to be richer than your parents”

· “How to buy cars at auction”

· “How to start a financial management business”

Life enrichment

In these days, although fewer and fewer are attending churches, more and more are flocking to purchase self-help books. Self-help books are leaping off shelves at brick and mortar bookstores. People want to feel that if they read a self-help book, they have all the power to change their lives. Whether or not this is true is moot. Changing your life, soul searching, and helping thyself, are all great ebook topics.

As much as ever before, people want to know how to find peace with their pasts, how to be creative or spiritual in a consuming society, and how to find true love. There is no end to how-to books you could create in the category of self-help, or life enrichment. Here are a few more ideas here:

· How to marry for life

· How to unbreak your heart

· How to stay sane in a crazy world

· How to meditate

A few more topics bound to explode

These are fiery hot topics that are sure to be on the rise. You can pull any one of these to use for your first ebook. Then come back and pull another topic for your next ebook.

Using the latest electronics. We are a society obsessed with having the latest and greatest technology. Do an ebook on iPods, email/camera cell phones, wireless Internet, digital TV, or any combination of these items.

Home improvement. There’s so much of a craze in this area that do-it-yourself (DIY) stores are on every corner of major cities. If you haven’t been to a Home Depot or Lowe’s lately, then you are one of the few. Sure, apartment dwellers and young students aren’t in this market, but people with homes and money to afford them are in this market. In fact, some cable TV services offer entire channels dedicated to home improvement.

Especially of current interest are in-home automation systems. DIY home improvers are eager to learn about and buy things that will make their home lives more relaxing, high-tech, or fun. Create a book to teach them how to make their lights come on for them before they get home from their jobs, or how to press a button to adjust window blinds, music, or temperature. Or how Bill Gates’ house works. Or how to add automation to an existing home, or how to build-in automation when a house is constructed.

Identity theft prevention. Especially because ebooks are marketed on the Internet, this is a great topic. This is because people who purchase over the Internet are concerned that their credit card numbers will not be seen by others or misused in any way. Even away from the computer though, consumers are on-edge about identity theft. Today, people are shredding their receipts, removing their personal information from the face of their checks, and cautiously covering themselves when they type in passwords at public terminals or ATMs. Microchips are being installed on ID cards. People are worried. Tap into this with an ebook!

Safety. Along the same lines as worrying about identity theft, people are worried about their safety from other things like crime, chemical warfare attack, and natural disasters. Watch the evening news tonight, and you will be able to list at least twenty things that people are afraid of. When you talk about safety, you are speaking their language. Titles along the lines of be prepared for any natural disaster would go over well, as would those like never be a crime victim again, how to defend yourself in a parking lot, or prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

How-to manuals for any new product recently on the market. This harks back to the Dummies series but takes it one step further. Target your ebook to people who want to buy the most current commercially available item. How to use the new model John Deere tractor. You will be sure that no one else has a book like yours, and you can say so in your sales pitch.

How to survive any phase of life. People face numerous demons and battles as they live their lives. For many, when they’re in need, they’ll be reaching out for help. Support groups, private therapy, being with friends, starting over - these are all solid topics for an ebook. You could also reach out specifically to certain people needing emotional assistance. How to get through the terrible two’s. How to cope with a cancer diagnosis. Living with your own shortcomings. How to live with someone who is dying. Surviving high school. Any of these will do.

Anything to do with pets. People are pampering their pets more than ever before. Some pets are treated better than people. It’s the people who spend small fortunes on their pets that will also be willing to pay good money for an ebook that gives them ideas on how to treat their animals even more royally than they already do.

Write books on how to pamper your parakeet, homemade meals for picky dogs, where the pet spas are, how to train your kids to be cat-friendly, million dollar homes for mutts, which animals make the best pets, or pet psychology.

Traveling mixed with the subjects above. Not only are people traveling like crazy, but they want to customize their itineraries and their methods of travel with their hobbies and lifestyles. Try a few of these on for size: where to dine around the globe and still stay on a low-carb diet plan. Hotels with the best exercise facilities. How to travel exquisitely with large dogs. Crime-proof your campsite. Be creative. There’s a market here.

Using the Internet to meet people. As I said, the craze is upon us. Everyone’s online, and sometimes folks spend more time chatting with Internet buddies than they do talking face to face with actual friends. I know I’ve been guilty of this one myself. Anyway, along with the advent of the World Wide Web, came people who need a little help figuring out how to get where they want to get. They want to find like-minded people, find a date, find love, find support.

There’s a huge ebook market for hooking people up with people online. Here are just a few things that could be covered: speed dating online, virtual music jams, taking online classes, hooking up with people who share your hobby, and finding online support groups. Any of these and more are of interest to people who wish to get maximum benefit from their ability, thanks to the Internet, to network with people in the farthest reaches of the world. In fact one of the appeals with online communing is that distance does not matter. Help these people in foreign lands find each other with an ebook.

Topics of special interest to women. The facts don’t lie. Women dominate the Internet, and they spend or influence spending of 80 cents for every dollar changing hands. What women want has never been so important to business owners and authors.

Certain topics appeal particularly to the female set. These include beauty, health, decorating, emotional support, and life enrichment. Women do a few things, generally, that men don’t. They play bunko, wear make-up, and talk for hours to their girlfriends on the phone. They send more greeting cards, prepare more casseroles, and vacuum more often than men. They eat more salads and go shopping more often for clothes. They get more pedicures and love to dance more than the average man.

There are two things to keep in mind with regards to women and ebooks. If you want to attract a female market, you need to write about a topic that women like to read about, and you want to make the title friendly towards women.

Here’s a female-oriented subject and title: Where to find great shopping bargains in Taos. And here’s a male subject: Where to catch the most fish in Taos.

Here’s a female-friendly title (same as above): Where to find great shopping bargains in Taos. And here’s a male-friendly title on the same subject: Keep your money in your pocket in Taos. See the difference? Know your market, and if you need to choose between one or the other, you’re safe going with the women’s title.

Sex. People don’t need to sneak out of bookstores with erotic books in their hands anymore, and they know it. They are looking on the Internet for sex materials, toys, and books. The Internet is private, individuals can take their sweet time, and indeed they can surf with or without a lover sharing their chair. There’s been a recent ebook success entitled Orgasms for two. There is room for more similar ebooks. On the subject of sex, this is one case where a fiction book may also do the trick. You could create erotic short stories or a how-to-have-great-sex ebook. Either ebook would entice adults interested in this category (and incidentally, most adults are indeed interested in this category).

Get more interesting articles on Internet Marketing at my blog: http://mfuzi.com



By: mfuzi

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Passport theft is on the rise worldwide.  Stolen US passports are particularly valuable on the black market, making American citizens especially vulnerable to passport theft.  Of course, criminals need not even steal your passport to cross borders under your identity.  Identity theft is one of the most problematic “white collar” criminal activities in the United States.  Cons need only to steal some basic information about you and will be able to apply for a US passport in your name.

 

In order to protect American citizens from the problems arising from passport theft, the U.S Department of State launched a new partnership in 2004.  This partnership combines the efforts of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Justice and Interpol to “contribute substiantially to worldwide travel document security,” according to Richard Boucher, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State.  The agencies involved have agreed to cooperate by sharing information via an international database.  Among data that is shared, the agencies immediately invalidate any US passport that is reported lost or stolen by its owner.  Once invalidated, that US passport cannot be used to enter or leave a country.

 

Part of the U.S. Department of State’s commitment to protecting Americans from passport theft includes protecting their privacy.  When a US passport theft or loss is reported, only the most basic personal information is added to the database.  Not even the name of the US passport holder is shared.  Instead, Interpol databases carry only the passport number and country of issuance of US passports reported stolen or lost.

 

The international database also records and shares information regarding other types of travel documents. Lost or stolen travel visas, identity cards and more are all part of the international program.  According to Interpol, over 2,000 lost or stolen travel documents were identified through this program between 2002 and 2006, including some US passports.

 

Naturally, the system is only as good as its users.  Protecting yourself from passport theft must start with you, the passport holder.  Some good tips to remember include:

 

* Keep your US passport secure.  When you are traveling abroad, keep your passport on your person at all times.  Carry it in a concealed place if possible, like a money belt.  Never leave it in a hotel room. When you are at home, store your passport in a safe location, preferably under lock and key.  Another good option is to store it in a bank safety deposit box.

 

* Report passport theft or loss immediately.  As soon as you realize your US passport is missing, contact Passport Services at the U.S. Department of State if you are at home.  If you are traveling abroad, contact the nearest US Consulate or Embassy.  They will ensure that your US passport number is entered into the international data base.  They will also help you obtain documentation to get home.

 

* Renew your US passport as soon as it expires.  This helps to prevent someone else from applying for a passport in your name.

 

 



By: Jenny Schweyer

About the Author:

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Washington, DC & Hollywood, Calif. — “We found more than 200 classified government documents in a few hours search over Peer-2-Peer networks,” said Retired General Wesley K. Clark

at a recent Government Reform Committee hearing (7-24-07). Describing it as the new national security risk Clark said, “We found everything from Pentagon network server secrets to other sensitive information on P-2P networks hackers dream about.”

Clark, now the chairman and CEO, of Wesley K. Clark & Associates, and a board member of Tiversa, Inc., which conducts 350 million searches per day, compared to Google’s 150 million daily searches.

“If everyone knew the scope of the risk of P2P networks, America would be outraged and demand solutions” Clark suggested regulation and mandatory defensive active monitoring programs, especially for sensitive government documents. “If you wait for the lawsuit, you have waited too long.” Clark noted that many of our national information security leaks were fresh, complete and often were distributed on home computers over P2P networks.

Chairman Henry Waxman (D) investigating the P2P networks invited LimeWire and StreamCast to testify along with other interested experts on illegal filesharing before the U.S. Houses of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Last March, United States Patent and Trademark Office released a study revealing that inadvertent file-sharing continued to threaten individual privacy and national security.

“This is the new threat to Homeland Security,” CEO Robert Boback, told the hearing. “We found thousands of corporate cases from banking statements, server passwords, financial data, public company data, human resources, medical records and fortune 500 company minutes on compliance.”

“One of the defining characteristics of contaminated networks is that users rarely ever know that they are sharing the files on their computer with other users on the network,” said SafeMedia Corporation Chairman Safwat Fahmy in his written testimony on how SafeMedia’s technology was developed to address illegal sharing of copyrighted materials on contaminated P2P networks. “Our technology eliminates all the identity theft and security risks of contaminated P2P networks that affect consumers, students, businesses and our national security.”

Fahmy also stated in his written testimony to the Committee that, “P2P networks, in order to work and survive, requires that all users share files. If users are unable to share files to be downloaded, then the network would be pointless and cease to exist. So, the developers of the P2P software create a directory on the user’s computer called “shared” to be uploaded on demand to any user on the entire network most often without the user knowledge, at the time of installation.”

Other startling testimony surfaced from Professor M. Eric Johnson, director, Center for Digital Strategies, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College. To illustrate the threat of P2P file sharing, his researchers ran a set of “honey-pot” experiments. They posted the text of an email message containing an active VISA (debit) number and an AT&T phone card in a music directory in a contaminated P2P network that was shared via Limewire.

“It appears that two takers of the card were able to obtain funds as the activity was split into two groups,” Johnson told the hearing. And it happened, “because one taker used Paypal, which is more US-centric, while the other used Nochex, which is UK-centric. Within another week, the calling card was also depleted. Examining the call records of the card, all of the calls were made from outside of the US to two US area codes - 347 (Bronx, NY) and 253 (Tacoma, WA), illustrating the P2P threat both within and outside of the US. Even more interesting, long after we stopped sharing the file, we observed the file continuing to move to new clients as some of the original takers leaked the file to others.”

In a second study, researchers examined bank-related documents and found circulating sensitive data as bank statements, credit reporting agency records, user ID and password lists and tax returns were inadvertently "shared" with millions of people. There was also evidence of sensitive government information being distributed through P2P networks over a two-month period.

“At SafeMedia, we have developed business solutions combining P2P Disaggregator technology (P2PD) and a Digital Internet Distribution Solution (DIDS) that prevents contaminated P2P networks from indiscriminately being accessed by users’ computers,” explained Fahmy. “Our solutions utilize advanced technologies such as: Adaptive Fingerprinting and DNA markers; Adaptive network patterns; Intelligent libraries; Remote update and Self-healing to effectively drop all contaminated P2P traffic with No Invasion of User Privacy. P2PD is fully effective at forensically discriminating between contaminated and non-contaminated P2P traffic with no false positives whether encrypted or not: P2PD operates at network speed with little or no latency.”

Fahmy added “The purpose of P2PD technology is not to shut down P2P networks or inhibit P2P technology. “We allow traffic from non contaminated P2P to pass to its destination we only drop traffic to and from contaminated P2P networks.

“Many users now are enjoying the protection of their identity and safety of their network from contaminated P2P network by using SafeMedia’s products which are available now for immediate implementation in DSL/Cable modems or as a standalone network appliance named” Clouseau” said Fahmy.

[Editors note: For media interviews contact George McQuade, MAYO Communications, 818-340-5300. For more information about SafeMedia Corporation product line visit www.SafeMedia.com or call 561-989-1934. To hear today’s testimony from the U.S. House Of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, on the” Inadvertent Filesharing Over Peer-To-Peer Networks Hearing," please visit: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1430 ]



By: George S. Mc Quade III

About the Author:

Content

It’s festive season and you are probably in the mood to go extravagant. However, do not let debts play spoilsport to your spirit. Here are some credit help tools that will keep your debt free while you return home laden with shopping bags.

Plan a budget

A budget determines how many bucks you can spend on shopping and is a great credit help tool. This will keep your expenses in control. Also, make sure to note down your expenses so that you are not baffled with the vanishing dollars. Credit card holders, beware! Stick to only one card, especially the one having the lowest rate of interest.

Create A List

How many items do you plan to buy? Spare some time and make a list. A list is a smart shopper’s credit help tool. It helps you compare rates and bargain. It also puts a brake on your shopping spree.

Find Out Ways To Save

If you look twice and maybe thrice, you will find that not all expenses are that necessary. For example, you can avoid eating out while shopping. A piping hot meal prepared at home is matchless! It saves dollars, is good for health, and gives you the privacy to eat with your family. Then, you can always have a small Christmas tree. After all, it is the spirit that matters, doesn’t it? Try to have fewer fancy lights to cut down on your electricity bill. You can even make your own holiday cards by snapping pictures on your own instead of shelling out dollars in a studio.

You may not realize but they are small credit help tools that make a huge difference in keeping your account rich. While out shopping, do not forget to use your head, and not just your heart. You will save bundles!

Credit Card Offers Are A Big NO!

Do not be tempted by the offers of credit card companies that urge you to miss out payments, or provide you an instant discount on your purchase. A high interest rate is hidden behind such offers. Also, before purchasing a credit card, always read the fine print and make sure you UNDERSTAND it. If you think that any perk is too good to be true, then it probably is.

Have You Taken Protection Against ID Theft This Festive Season?

Attention, credit card holders! ID theft is growing at an alarming rate in America. However, you need not go anywhere to ask for protection. You are your own guard. Here are some credit help tools to keep your personal details safe while shopping. And don’t think that you haven’t told your password to anyone means that it’s safe. The world is full of geniuses gone awry.

While shopping online, check out whether the web site is secure. How? Check for “https” in the URL or the “lock” icon.

Always have copies of the receipts while gift shopping.

Never carry all the cards with you. You probably need only one or two during one shopping trip, don’t you? In case your wallet gets stolen or lost, you will only have one or two accounts to worry about.

Be vigilant with the cashiers while shopping. Remember, they should never scan your card through more than a single device to process the transaction.

Never allow your credit card to go out of your sight. When dining out, pay with cash.

It is a good idea to sign up for credit monitoring services. It helps you to track any alterations in your credit report, along with an increase in your balance, or functioning of new credit lines. In case of identity theft, a credit monitoring service will alert you at once and enable you to take action in order to repair the damages, if any.

So, make your festive season full of happiness minus credit worries.



By: anonymous

About the Author:

Content

“Be part of one of America’s Fastest Growing Industries. Earn thousands of dollars a month from your home processing Medical Billing Claims.”

You can find ads like this everywhere from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can’t work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Be part of one of America’s Fastest Growing Industries. Earn thousands of dollars a month from your home processing Medical Billing Claims. This is one of several types of offers are classic work at home schemes. Medical billing ads for pre-packaged businesses known as billing centers are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you’ll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this.

There a “crisis” in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open. The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to “outsource” or contract out their billing services to save money.

Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you.

The reality is you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community. The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support.

And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be “shills” people hired to give favorable testimonials. It’s best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being mislead by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works.

Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues or let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Envelope stuffing is another area to be careful about. Promoters usually advertise that, for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later, when it’s too late you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you’re likely to get a letter telling you to place the same “envelope-stuffing” ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you’ll earn money is if people respond to your work at home ad.

Make money by assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them.

For example, you might have to buy a sewing or signmaking machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs.

However, after you have purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don’t pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn’t meet “quality standards.” Unfortunately, no work is ever “up to standard,” leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Questions to ask about work at home opportunities. Legitimate work at home program sponsors should tell you in writing what’s involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter.

1. What tasks will I have to perform? Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.

2. Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? Who will pay me? When will I get my first paycheck?

3. What is the total cost of the work at home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?

The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work at home program is appropriate for your

circumstances, and whether it is legitimate. You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live.

These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work at home program that interests you. But be wary, the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

Where do I complain? If you have spent money and time on a work at home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience.

If you can’t resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations. The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The Attorney General’s office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you’re protected by any state law that may regulate work at home programs. Your local consumer protection offices. Your local Better Business Bureau.

The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you’ve had with the company.

Contact the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, Office of Consumer and Business Education, 1-877-FTC-HELP or more for help. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them.

To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, call tollfree, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.



By: Jerry Johnson

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

If you are looking for a network marketing company that offers a unique service to it’s customers then you might want to take a look at Pre-paid legal services. Here’s why…

Pre-Paid legal services offers legal expense plans that give middle and lower class Americans access to the justice system. If you look at the legal system today you will find a broken system. There are millions of lawsuits filed everyday from divorce, child custody, civil suits, criminal suits, etc.

There is also a huge problem with identity theft nowadays. It is very easy for someone to commit drivers lisence fraud, social security fraud, and credit fraud.

Pre-Paid Legal Services is a 35 yr. old New York Stock Exchange company and was founded by Harland Stonecipher. They offer a wide range of legal plans. The most common plan is the expanded family plan. The plan covers you and your entire household for $26.00 a month. The expanded family plan is broken down into five titles of coverage.

1) Preventive Legal Services

2) Motor Vehicle Legal Expenses

3) Trial Defense Services

4) IRS audit services

5) Preferred Member Discount on any additional legal matter.

A special membership called the Legal shield is added on with the expanded family plan. It allows a customer to contact their attorney immediately if they are arrested or detained. It doesn’t matter if they are detained at two in the morning, they can contact their attorney.

As far as a network marketing opportunity you have a couple of things going for you. The legal industry is hard to get access to, most people can’t afford the high price of attorneys. Also, a majority of legal problems can be prevented if people have access to legal advise. Another advantage to their opportunity is it’s highly affordable for the average consumer. Your talking about a $26.00 or less monthly expense. Their memberships are not a hard sale to make if explained right.

I wouldn’t do this review justice if I didn’t mention the other popular membership that Pre-paid legal offers. It is the Identity theft shield.

Pre-paid legal partnered with Kroll Background of America a number of years ago. Kroll specializes in Identity theft and has allowed prepaid legal associates to market the Identity theft shield service.

For $12.95 a month or $9.95 a month added on to a Pre-paid legal membership customers have complete protection in regards to Identity theft. The service provides continuous credit monitoring and credit restoration. If a customers Identity is compromised they will be provided with an expert that will go to work to restore their name. The service provides 600 hours of the experts time with no additional charge.

Today, we know that Identity theft is one of the fastest growing white collar crimes in America. We also know that most people use credit or debit cards to pay for purchases. This provides a huge opportunity for associates to cash in and help consumers.

The compensation plan that Pre-paid legal offers is very generous. They pay out 1 yr advanced commissions on all their plans. For example, if an associate sells the expanded family plan for $26.00 + the Identity theft shield for $9.95 an associate will earn starting out $36.00 and it goes all the way to over $250.00 for marketing a $35.95 membership. Obviously I can’t explain the entire comp plan in detail in this article, that’s why I placed a link at the end for more information.

In closing, I want to mention the last benefit of the network marketing opportunity that Pre-paid legal provides and that is they PAY DAILY. When a membership is process they pay their associates the next business day.

I attempted to write a short overview of Pre-paid legal but now I want to talk specifically to the home business opportunity seeker. If you desire to learn how to be an ENTREPRENEUR and how to MARKET the Pre-paid legal service plans the easy way then you need to partner with leaders who can teach you how. For more information check out the resources below.

http://www.CarlCoffin.com - Empowered Entreprenuer Creating Value In Others.

http://www.Prepaidlegalonline.net - A Business That Changes Lives.



By: Carl Coffin

About the Author:

Content - Members-Only Content for WordPress

Though they might never stop to give a drifter a lift on the interstate, there are many whose desire for romance will lead them to pick up the equivalent of hitchhikers online.

Instant messaging, chat rooms and online personal ads have become an unavoidable part of the online experience, but who knows who might be on the other side of the keyboard?

Keeping yourself and your identity safe when you’re looking for love online is challenging, but, not impossible, according to Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating, the largest brick-and-mortar dating service in the world.

“For every good-hearted man or woman looking for love, there is a dangerous line-up of shady characters that includes con men, liars and the most violent of criminals. Give out too much information, or even a little, as you chat and you may find yourself a victim of a cyber stalker, harassment, identity theft or worse,” said Falzone.

According to WHOA (Working to Halt Online Abuse), an organization dedicated to educating the internet community about online harassment and abuse, 73.5 percent of online harassment/cyber stalking victims (from 2000 to 2006) were female and half of them between the ages of 18-30 years of age. Of the females harassed/stalked, 16.7 percent knew the perpetrator to be an online acquaintance.

In a recent U.S. Department of Justice report, threatening email and other electronic communications were said to be factors in approximately 20 percent of the cases handled by the Los Angeles Stalking and Threat Assessment Unit. The Computer Investigations and Technology Unit of the New York City Police Department estimated that nearly 40 percent of its caseload involved threats and harassment.

Further making the case about the dangers of online interaction, a study on the sexual victimization of college women by researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that nearly 25 percent of all respondents had been victims of cyber stalking.

Most people, thankfully, won’t face extreme cases of violence. But other dangers abound, such as identity theft, which has claimed more than 9 million victims a year according to the Better Business Bureau. And, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s National and State Trends in Fraud and Identity Theft, identity theft has been their top consumer complaint for several years.

In light of recent tragedies of online dating gone wrong and the significant rise in identity theft, Falzone offers advice on how to avoid online harassment and cyber stalking as well as compromised personal information:

• Do not fill out online profiles for free e-mail accounts that you may use when chatting or instant messaging. Even the most seemingly innocuous piece of information, when coupled with the personal information that may slip out in conversation can be used to pry into your personal life.

• Be aware that an abundance of personal information can be harvested through both free and paid Web sites. Be very leery of any additional information you may post on a personal homepage or social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook and others.

• Avoid using screen names that reveal your identity or location.

• Be sure to protect your computer and your personal information by installing and keeping computer security software up-to-date to deter online thieves.

• Don’t respond to, and block, any annoying, threatening or harassing e-mail.

• When mail or phone contact is necessary, such as when using auction sites, try to use an office phone number and address or a postal box.

• Be aware of any vague or inconsistent information that a correspondent provides.

• Be skeptical of any photo they send that look too professional or “too good to be true.” It may just be an image pulled from the Net.

• If you become the victim of stalking or harassing behavior, don’t hesitate to report it to the legal authorities just as you would with such treatment offline. You may also be able to report such conduct to the offending parties Internet Service Provider.

• Be familiar with online resources intended to educate the public about such online issues. These sites include www.cyberangels.org, www.haltabuse.org and www.childrenspartnership.org.

As for online dating services, only a few do a good job of screening applicants. Unfortunately, many are open to anyone with the ability to pay the fee and post a picture (whether or not the image is, in fact, of them). Men and women alike may use the anonymity of the Web to lie about their age, appearance, marital status, name and even gender.

Whether you use an online dating or singles’ service or even one of the “brick and mortar” variety, ask questions to gauge how well they will protect and serve you. Do they conduct background checks? Are their safeguards to ensure that members are not married or have criminal records? Will they offer a guarantee? Are they in good standing with local business associations and the Attorney General’s office?

Falzone continued, “There is no way to be completely safe or secure when using the Internet as a meeting place. But by being skeptical, and using your head as much as your heart, it is possible to have fun without attracting unnecessary danger.”

Now catering to more than 300,000 members at over 60 locations throughout North America, The Right One and Together Dating are the largest brick and mortar dating services in the industry. The Right One and Together Dating offer a more consistent product, a greater number of potentially compatible mates and added value of flexibility in transferring memberships to another geographic region.

Romantic Locations

The Right One’s offices and affiliates located throughout the United States include: California (San Diego); Colorado (Glendale); Florida (Miami); Georgia (Atlanta); Kansas (Wichita and Overland Park); Illinois (Downers Grove, Rockford and Bloomington); New Jersey (Cherry Hill, Hackensack); Massachusetts (Norwell, Newton, Shrewsbury and Woburn); Nebraska (Omaha and Lincoln); Pennsylvania (King of Prussia, Pittsburgh and Monroeville); Rhode Island (Warwick); Texas (Dallas, Austin); and Wisconsin (Madison, Appleton, Brookfield).

North American locations and affiliates of Together are: California (Encino, Irvine, Los Angeles, Upland); Florida (Palm Beach, Vero Beach); Georgia (Savannah); Indiana (Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, South Bend); Kentucky (Lexington, Louisville); Louisiana (New Orleans); Maryland (Columbia, Frederick); Minnesota (Minneapolis); Nevada (Reno); New Hampshire (Hooksett, Nashua, Portsmouth and Salem); New Jersey (Bridgewater, Clark, Colts Neck and Lawrenceville); Ohio (Cincinnati); Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg); South Carolina (Greenville); South Dakota (Sioux Falls); Texas (San Antonio, Beaumont and Houston) and Virginia (Falls Church).

For more information about The Right One and Together Dating, please visit their websites at www.therightone.com and www.togetherdating.com or call (800) 818-DATE (3283).



By: Nancy Sheerin

About the Author:

Content

Working at home and starting a home-based internet business is the dream of many men and women from all walks of life. Across America and around the world countless numbers of these people are turning their dream into a reality. There are certain challenges however that often come back to haunt the would be e-entrepreneur that they never gave much thought to at the beginning of their venture. One of those is one of the most important potential problems of today and the future. That is the issue of identity theft.

When you are operating an online business, you spend many hours on your computer doing the things necessary to build your business. Quite frequently this requires you to do business with and/or contract with other companies for various reasons. This can sometimes open you up to exposing yourself to privacy issues. At the end of this article, I will reveal to you probably the best step you can take to securing your identity.

An identity thief takes your personal information and uses it without your knowledge. The thief may run up debts or even commit crimes in your name. These 10 tips can help you lower your risk of becoming a victim.

1. Protect your Social Security Number

Don’t carry your Social Security Card in your wallet. If a company you do business with wants to use your SS# as your account number or id number, ask them to use another number. Protecting your Social Security number is the key to controlling identity theft.

2. Don’t let your identity get trashed

Own a paper/document shredder as part of your business. Shred or tear up papers with your personal information on them before you throw them away. Shred credit card offers and other mail you receive that might have your personal private information on them.

3. Use caution when clicking around the Internet

Before entering credit card or other personal information on any web site(especially if you are new to it), read their privacy policy. See what your opportunities are to opt out of sharing your information. IF there is no privacy policy posted, BEWARE!. Do business somewhere else. When you do enter personal information, enter it on secure Web pages with “https” in the address bar and a padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser. These signs indicated protection from hackers.

4. Don’t fall for “Phishing”!

Scam artists disguise themselves as legitimate businesses that you do business with like your bank, stores, eBay, Paypal, government agencies and such. Tactics include phone calls, emails, regular mail, and others asking you to verify personal information like account numbers and passwords. Don’t respond unless you initiated the contact. Legit companies do not ask for this sort of information in these ways.

5. Control your personal financial information

Limit where you can, the sharing of your information between companies and/or their affiliates.

6. Opt-out of pre-approved credit card offers

Many pre-approved credit card offers are simply ploys to make your information an easy target to gather.

7. Check your bills and statements

Open these items when you receive them in the mail. Reconcile right away and look carefully for any unauthorized charges or withdrawals. If you don’t receive these in the mail, call to find out why in case anyone has changed your contact information.

8. Protect your computer

Computer viruses and spyware can compromise your privacy. Use the appropriate security software. Make your passwords difficult for others to guess. Don’t click on links in spam email.

9. Check your credit report

This is one of the best ways to protect yourself. Monitor your credit history. You can get a FREE credit report every year from each of the three national credit bureaus.

10. Ask Why

Whenever information is requested from you that seems inappropriate for the transaction you are making, ask questions. Ask how the information is going to be used and if it will be shared. Move on if you feel the answers are unsatisfactory.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. It’s wise and prudent to take steps to protect yourself when you are an online business owner spending so much time online. A great way to protect your good name and your identity from being stolen is with a fantastic company called Lifelock. They’ll even give you a Million Dollar Service Guarantee.

Quite simply, using Lifelock is absolutely the best way to protect yourself from identity theft BEFORE it happens.

If you decide to take this important step toward protecting your identity and good name, here’s how you can save a little money on Lifelock’s already low service pricing. At the appropriate point when prompted for a “PROMO CODE”, enter the promo code LOCKSAFE. By entering “locksafe”, you’ll receive a 10% service discount from Lifelock that I have negotiated for all my readers.

Get all the details at http://www.Lifelock.com .

Identity theft can happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere. It can happen online or offline. Take the logical steps to protect yourself and rest assured that you have properly protected your reputation and the reputation of your business online and off.



By: Todd Thomas

About the Author:

Content

Employment Screening Resources (ESR), a leading national employment screening background firm, released its “Second Annual Top Ten Trends in the Pre-Employment Background Screening Industry” for 2009 today. Although issues from 2008 remain on the list, the 2009 trends reflect increasing concerns over the use of Facebook and similar sites, lawsuits looming over inaccurate Background Screening reports, increasing government scrutiny of the screening industry and privacy and security issues.

“In the current legal environment, businesses want to make sure they are not only exercising due diligence but are also ahead of the curve on legal issues,” said Lester S. Rosen, attorney at law and founder of ESR and author of two books on background screening. “The quickest way to get sued is to not understand the legal environment and latest trends surrounding background checks and employment.”

Rosen believes that the federal and state governments will require more background screening in 2009, especially in sensitive jobs, and that more businesses will make Pre-Employment Background Screening a requirement for the job. The increased use of Applicant Tracking Systems will lead to “one button” clicks for background checks, he says.

“At the same time, consumers are worried about their privacy. That’s why data protection and accuracy have become so critical. The use of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are another minefield for employers,” says Rosen. “We have identified 10 Trends to help alert employers on what to expect in 2009.”

Hot topics for 2009 include tighter government regulation, privacy concerns, and controversy over sending sensitive data offshore for processing, increasing demand for accurate criminal record reporting, and the probability of more lawsuits against both employers and background screening firms. Not that the 2008 trends outlined in January 2008 are no longer relevant, but a shifting world has reshuffled the challenges facing employers, job applicants and screening firms.

1.  More Government Regulation: Likely to increase in 2009 are the requirements by federal and state governments for more background checks in sensitive industries – such as child care workers and certain health workers. Another area where the government requires checks is verification of the eligibility of a new hire to work by using the E-verify program. Although litigation has been filed, the announced rules require employers with certain federal government contracts to utilize the E-verily program starting in 2009. Along with the federal government, the states are becoming increasingly involved in regulating screening.

2.  Privacy and Accuracy: The subjects of privacy, accuracy, and fairness will also be major issues for 2009. Privacy Times newsletter, for example, led off its December 2008 issue with an article criticizing the screening industry. The letter noted that a coalition of legal aid groups has called on the Federal Trade Commission to take enforcement actions against background screening companies for “widespread noncompliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s requirements for accuracy and dispute investigations.”

The report was especially critical of the use of criminal databases that can falsely accuse an innocent person of being a criminal, and the failure of some screening firms “to take into account the fact that criminal identity theft is unfairly tarring thousands of job applicants.” A leading cause of inaccuracies is matching innocent job applicants to criminal records based upon the same or similar name in a database, without re-verification of the record at the courthouse. A new organization called Concerned CRA’s has taken a stance against utilizing such databases without taking proper measures to ensure accuracy of criminal records.

3.  Second chance for ex-offenders: Unless as a society, we want to build more prisons than schools or hospitals, something must be done to reduce recidivism and find employment for applicants with criminal records. At the same time, placing the wrong person in the wrong job can be a disaster and cause untold grief. As a result of Title VII and notice from the EEOC, employers are well advised to review their hiring practices to ensure that they are not discriminating against members of protected classes by automatically denying employment without considering whether there is a business justification for disqualification based upon the crime and the job. This will continue to be a developing area in 2009. One example are the new laws passed by the State of New York that become effective this year that place a greater emphasis on employers analyzing a past criminal record to determine whether there is a business justification not to hire a person. The New York law also requires that notice of various rights be provided to job applicants (See an explanation of the New York laws in the December, 2008 ESR Newsletter.

4.  Consumer Protection Litigation: As the screening industry matures, and applicants and their lawyers become much more informed about their consumer rights, it is likely that there will be an increase in litigation. The may include class action lawsuits against screening firms, particularly when it comes to various notices required under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, and accuracy requirements in the federal law. Since database searches can result in false negatives (meaning a criminal is missed) as well as false positives (meaning an innocent person is labeled a criminal), it is probable that employers and screening firms that rely upon databases may be the subject of litigation where a database search failed to locate a dangerous person.

5.  Impact of the recession: As a result of the recession and higher unemployment, it is likely that employers will need to scrutinize applications even more carefully, to be on the watch for fraudulent credentials, such as inflated or fictional employment history or educational degrees. Another recession related trend may be the increase in applicants who are willing to perform their own background checks in order to present to employers a self-certification that their credentials are for real. Since more temporary employees and Independent Contractors are hired during a recession, the issue of screening non-employees will continue to be important.

6.  Data security and data breaches and Offshoring Data: Since identity theft continues to be a national and international problem, expect even more emphasis in 2009 on data security and protection. Closely related is the continuing issue of employers and screening firms offshoring consumer data to India or other similar places for cost savings. Once data leaves the United States., it is beyond U.S. privacy protections. A new organization called Concerned CRA’s has taken a stance against offshoring such data without notification to consumers. The use of home-operator networks also presents an unnecessary risk to privacy as well. There is no justification for personal information to be spread across kitchen tables and dorm rooms across America.

7.  Accreditation by the NAPBS: The non-profit trade organization for the screening Industry, the National Association of Professional Background Screeners has announced the introduction of an accreditation program. NAPBS has gone through an exhaustive process to develop “Best Practices” for the industry, and it is anticipated that firms will start going through the process this year.

8.  Social network sites: The use of social networking sites as a pre-employment screening device will continue to be a hot topic in 2009, as more recruiters and HR professionals go online to satisfy their curiosity about candidates. The problem: contrary to popular belief, just because it is online does not mean that it’s a good idea to utilize it without developing policies and procedures. Online material can be inaccurate, discriminatory, and under certain circumstances, its use can be an invasion of privacy. Stay tuned as more courts give their opinions on this issue.

9.  Integration of services: With the advent of “Web 2.0,” it is likely that technology will play an even bigger role in the coming years. Seamless integrations with Applicant Tracking Systems allow paperless background screening systems at the click of a mouse.

10.  International background checks: In 2008, we observed that, “With mobility of workers across international borders, due diligence is no longer limited to just what an applicant has done in the United States. Although there are numerous practical and legal challenges as well as data and privacy concerns, international background checks are becoming very accessible to employers.” That will continue to be the trend in 2009 as well.



By: Lester Rosen

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.