The Digital Identity Blog

What Are Background Checks?

Background checks are a customary part of any hiring process. Background checks help companies to address workplace safety and avoid threats. They are key initiatives for any company during the pre-employment evaluation process. Running background checks allows companies to investigate a variety of data points that will affect their hiring decision. Contingent upon need and industry, companies frequently search criminal records, perform drug screenings, evaluate work and academic history, financial history, and much more to gain reassurance. While background checks date back to the early 1900's, alternative background checks have been used in conjunction to the classic method in recent years. 

In this article, we will take an in-depth view into the significance of our digital identities and why it is vital to keep them secure. The last eighteen months have highlighted how the worlds of business and government are dependent on valid digital identity solutions. This is apparent in such areas as eCommerce, banking, government, healthcare, and media. However, there are many more areas and applications that require a trusted solution, some of which we will review below. This new necessity and awareness to the dependency businesses and governments have on the individual’s validated digital information creates compliance and data security issues that are far beyond the ability of most business to handle effectively.

Online dating has grown to become a popular way for people to meet. Dating apps were not very common until Tinder became available to smartphones users in 2013. Tinder has shifted dating culture, which has allowed people of all sexualities to find love, dates, or hook ups at their fingertips. The popularity of Tinder has led to the development of many more dating apps and an increase in users. 

Background checks allow employers to ensure they are staying informed during the hiring process, and are now common practice. However, before delving into the changes in background checks, it is essential to understand why they began.

Covid-19 has changed every aspect of how individuals carry out day-to-day life. With vaccination rates rising and re-opening occurring around the world, some industries are still wary about re-opening at full capacity. The largest industries that are still being negatively impacted by Covid are the entertainment industries, specifically venues.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused our country to drastically change its ways of operating. As a student, I felt as if my college experience has been stripped from me. While technology has quickly become the center of successful communication for learning, socializing, and working for universities, could it have done more to enable the return of ‘normality’ sooner? 

As hospital systems have grown over the years and pursued extended outreach programs, compliance officers have faced greater challenges in managing background checks, clinician licenses and clinician certifications.

What’s going on with data privacy legislation in the US?

Answer: There’s a lot going on. Besides the whispers of federal data privacy legislation in the future, there’s a lot in the works for a majority of states in the US. If you know about California and CCPA, think along those lines - but for every state, each with their own intricacies and penalties.

As the World begins to ease COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, travel, and the entertainment industries, businesses are looking forward to how to do this confidently and safely. The largest immunization movement in history is providing one level of confidence, however it will be a long and slow process until global population has herd immunity. There are various ways to prove vaccination or negative tests to prove a person is healthy, yet there are limited ways to properly demonstrate and memorialize health status efficiently and securely. Unfortunately, as a society we are still reliant upon oversized vaccination cards and repetitive manual processes which unnecessarily expose sensitive personal information and are prone to fraud and counterfeiting.

As part of Verif-y’s ongoing efforts to educate organizations and individuals about digital identity, we thought it might be useful to dedicate a post to the current challenges related to the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as well as provide suggestions on potential mitigation strategies.