A Catastrophic Security Breach
Edward Snowden was a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor and former employee of the CIA who leaked details of top-secret government surveillance programs, setting off a global media frenzy and giving the U.S. government a massive shiner.
Snowden’s security clearance was outsourced to the U.S. Investigations Services (USIS), a private contractor and the largest supplier of federal background checks.
Apparently, they missed something in the screening process.
Importance of the Background Check
Although there are multiple ways to protect your company from insider security breaches, the primary line of defense is the background check. You want to be able to screen for those who might expose your confidential data, whether it’s from collecting business intelligence or leaking company trade secrets.
Were red flags in Snowden’s background check overlooked?
USIS is currently under investigation to determine if they were negligent in conducting Snowden’s security clearance. The company appeared to have missed some warning signs such as resumé discrepancies, revealing chat room talks, and an Internet image of Snowden on his laptop with stickers of digital rights and online privacy groups.
Characteristics of an Effective Employee Background Investigation
What makes for a successful background check? A background check is only as good as its investigators. When hired to look into a subject’s past, it’s important that the private investigations firm do the following:
Verify all relevant information on the applicant’s resumé. Verify past education and employment information. Call educational institutions and past employees and ask the right questions. You can use this information to form a character assessment and hypothesize how well they will perform in the position.
Be effective at gathering online and offline data. You should be able to skillfully use the Internet—such as by using social media sites, Google searches, image searches, public record databases, and forums. You should also augment this information using offline sources, such as conducting interviews or accessing records.
Conduct a credit check if the applicant has access to sensitive financial records or cash.
Check for aliases. Don’t limit your search using only the applicant’s current name and place of residence. Once the applicant agrees to provide you with a Social Security number, you can use this number to check for past names and addresses.
Separate fact from fiction. Your report needs to be 100 percent accurate to be an effective tool in making a hiring decision. If you’re not sure about information you find, leave it out of your report.
Keep data private and secure. You should have a privacy policy and be able to show how applicant information is stored and how it will remain secure in your database.
Customize your reports. The quality of data from a report that contains both open-ended and closed-ended questions will be higher than a static template with check boxes to tick off.
Include positive information about the applicant. To paint a complete and accurate picture of a candidate, a background check should include any relevant positive information about his education, accomplishments, and character—not just red flags.
Contact the applicant to clarify information. The applicant can be interviewed and used as a tool to verify information. There may be some errors and miscommunications that come up during your investigation that can be resolved by speaking with the applicant.
Be holistic in your approach. The applicant does not need to rate positively on all aspects of your investigation. Weigh the pros and cons of hiring the applicant and pay attention to patterns in your research instead of hard and fast rules.
Keep up-to-date with laws in your region. You may not be allowed access to all of the information listed above due to legal constraints, so seek legal advice if you’re uncertain.
If Snowden were the subject of a thorough investigation, do you think he would have still been hired as an NSA contractor?
Mark Kusic is a private investigator in British Columbia and is president/founder of Kusic and Kusic Private Investigations in Vancouver, B.C. The firm specializes in video surveillance, litigation support, brand protection and anti-counterfeiting, online investigations, business employee evaluations, and boutique security and executive protection.