Reply to: Request to evidence career break from employer

[MrMarkyMark]

FTFY

I stopped using the Internet in any shape or form 10 years ago, got rid of my mobile, my land line and live like a recluse. Never looked back.

[MrMarkyMark]

Doesn't matter if you have debit cards, credit cards, a mobile phone, use public transport and walk around the streets.

Correct, nearly all our personal info, has been sold on and is flushing around the world wide "sewer", in any case.

Any sense of privacy, these days, is largely in ones imagination

[SueEllen]

I stopped using the Internet in any shape or form 10 years ago. Never looked back.

Doesn't matter if you have debit cards, credit cards, a mobile phone, use public transport and walk around the streets.

[nomadd]

Since the UK has the most CCTV cameras in Europe, the police collect ANR data and keep it for 2 years (hoping to extend it to 7), every call you make is logged, every electronic transaction you make is logged etc you have no hope of privacy in the UK.

I stopped using the Internet in any shape or form 10 years ago. Never looked back.

[SueEllen]

It seems a desire for privacy makes one a pariah.

The UK sytem of utility bills, bank statements as proof of identity for mortgages etc (and for security vetting at banks) is antiquated and intrusive.

Belgian relatives who work in IB have one of these:

https://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/4834

Since the UK has the most CCTV cameras in Europe, the police collect ANR data and keep it for 2 years (hoping to extend it to 7), every call you make is logged, every electronic transaction you make is logged etc you have no hope of privacy in the UK.

[northernladuk]

It seems a desire for privacy makes one a pariah.

The UK sytem of utility bills, bank statements as proof of identity for mortgages etc (and for security vetting at banks) is antiquated and intrusive.

Belgian relatives who work in IB have one of these:

https://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/4834

Well you stand up for your rights and stick two fingers up to the system for me as well then. We done here?

[clearedforlanding]

You are blowing this right out of proportion now. If you don't want people to see you back statements where they are required as part of vetting don't apply. Nothing else to it really. Good luck getting mortgages and other basic stuff as well though.....

It seems a desire for privacy makes one a pariah.

The UK sytem of utility bills, bank statements as proof of identity for mortgages etc (and for security vetting at banks) is antiquated and intrusive.

Belgian relatives who work in IB have one of these:

https://www.bruxelles.be/artdet.cfm/4834

[northernladuk]

Yawn. You are only considering the bank´s perspective. A leak of personal data could be devestating to a contractor. I care about my exposure just as much as the banks.

If I was visiting a private STD or abortion clinic I would not wish to share my bank statements with a client. If that data leaked became publicly available and I lived in a religiously conservative community, then what?

You are blowing this right out of proportion now. If you don't want people to see you back statements where they are required as part of vetting don't apply. Nothing else to it really. Good luck getting mortgages and other basic stuff as well though.....

[clearedforlanding]

Absolute nonsense. They are both covered by the Operational Risk division. There is the concept within Ops Risk of inherent risk and residual risk. Residual risks are those that are left after you take action to mitigate inherent risks. There's only so much you can do to safeguard data (solid password policy, etc.) but without logging every query issued and flagging it almost instantly within the Ops Risk team (i.e. what does DaveR want with that information) then there is a residual risk that data can leave the office on any given day by various means; anything from pen drives to website uploads. Different banks have different standards and different constraints but there's always a level of trust that you have to place in users.

On the counter side to that is the data that they would be stealing. How valuable is it? A list of employees, activities and salaries might be of interest for an exposé on banking lifestyles and the money funding them but of more value to the thief and by definition the recipient of the data would be bank account access details. Skim £2 from every single retail account in HSBC with a balance over £100 and nobody would notice you suddenly get very rich, especially if you tag it with some completely benign transaction code.

Yawn. You are only considering the bank´s perspective. A leak of personal data could be devestating to a contractor. I care about my exposure just as much as the banks.

If I was visiting a private STD or abortion clinic I would not wish to share my bank statements with a client. If that data leaked became publicly available and I lived in a religiously conservative community, then what?

*Spare us the lecture on risk that would be evident to anyone who had kept one eye open for some part of PRINCE 2 foundation.

[uk contractor]

Candidates using forged documents are taking an almighty chance if they get caught out they risk being flagged on their credit records for serious financial fraud & or even open to prosecution which would render their chances of working in many industries again fairly remote !!! You would also not be allowed to hold directorships in many companies. This would also impact your credit history & any credit or bank accounts they are likely to open in future so no more remortgaging for you either! Massive gamble likely to backfire if the background checking company perform simple double checks.

IME as long as you have:

UK Passport
UK Full Drivers Licence
On Voters Roll for at least 3 years
12 months minimum bank statements
12 months minimum POA
No Credit or Police issues

Then if you passed the interview you will pass the background checking unless its SC or DV. If you have nothing to worry about just concentrate on the interview the rest will be plain sailing (if you have nothing to hide that is!).

Do not bother applying for Financial Services or any other contracts where they require these checks if you have anything to hide it will come out sooner or later & potentially cost you way more than the actual contract value!

[LondonManc]

I'll concede that. However the fact that you consider that banks view HR data less valuable than client data kind of bolsters my point.

Putting privacy concerns to the side:

I do not however believe that asking contractors for arbritary documents such as bank statements is the appropriate way of screening candidates for security reasons. See below:

Fake Documents, Fake Bank Statements, Fake Utility Bills, P60, P45, Payslips

*Or just buy the correct paper stock & fire up your colour laser. Or fire up the console in Chrome if using online banking.

Absolute nonsense. They are both covered by the Operational Risk division. There is the concept within Ops Risk of inherent risk and residual risk. Residual risks are those that are left after you take action to mitigate inherent risks. There's only so much you can do to safeguard data (solid password policy, etc.) but without logging every query issued and flagging it almost instantly within the Ops Risk team (i.e. what does DaveR want with that information) then there is a residual risk that data can leave the office on any given day by various means; anything from pen drives to website uploads. Different banks have different standards and different constraints but there's always a level of trust that you have to place in users.

On the counter side to that is the data that they would be stealing. How valuable is it? A list of employees, activities and salaries might be of interest for an exposé on banking lifestyles and the money funding them but of more value to the thief and by definition the recipient of the data would be bank account access details. Skim £2 from every single retail account in HSBC with a balance over £100 and nobody would notice you suddenly get very rich, especially if you tag it with some completely benign transaction code.

[SueEllen]

This thread appears to have gone right off the rails.

. The worst thing is I'm actually sober.

[northernladuk]

This thread appears to have gone right off the rails.

[SueEllen]

The entire thing relies on you telling the "truth" but they seem to want your version of the "truth" without collaboration from other people but with arbitrary documents.

So they may as well go and ask you to turn your personal statement into a statutory declaration.

The hassle and the threat of prison would deter some people especially as at some point you may end up having to prove it. Those with maternity, paternity or medical reasons would then actually provide stronger evidence of their version of the truth e.g. medical records, which they can't ask for.

[clearedforlanding]

EDIT and just to point out the third one is insider theft which surely would push the banks to carry out more stringent tests which this whole thread is about so you have kind of made the point rather than argue it to some extent.

I'll concede that. However the fact that you consider that banks view HR data less valuable than client data kind of bolsters my point.

Putting privacy concerns to the side:

I do not however believe that asking contractors for arbritary documents such as bank statements is the appropriate way of screening candidates for security reasons. See below:

Fake Documents, Fake Bank Statements, Fake Utility Bills, P60, P45, Payslips

*Or just buy the correct paper stock & fire up your colour laser. Or fire up the console in Chrome if using online banking.