A new study just released by The Identity Theft Resource Center shows that data breaches are up 69% so far this year compared with the same time frame in 2007.  Nearly a third of the 342 reported breaches are attributed to businesses.  Breaches are also on the rise in banks and by health-care providers.

While it is important to understand that this increase could be attributed largely to the fact that these breaches are being self-reported, the importance of protecting personal data of your applicants and employees cannot be underscored.  Some advice as it relates to background checks: make sure that your results are only seen by those who need to know and that the information is stored in secured files if printed out.

Full Washington Post article housed in the link below:

Data Breaches Are Up 69% This Year, Nonprofit Says