Whether you’re searching for information about someone online for personal or professional purposes, a cyber background check can bring you the necessary results. Imagine you’re soon going on a date with a person you know nothing about except for what they’ve said about themselves; or you’re about to hire an employee but are still hesitant about whether they’re safe to access your company’s sensitive information.
Protecting yourself in this digital age is important, as you never know who you can be dealing with. But what exactly is a cyber background check? How can it help you, and how to conduct it? Let’s find out in this blog post.
What Is a Cyber Background Check?
A cyber background check refers to the process of investigating someone's online presence and digital footprint to gather information about their personal and professional background. Many people and businesses turn to cyber background checks for one reason — to protect themselves.
What someone says about themselves in conversation or even on paper isn’t always true. Verifying details is important to understand the person in question’s background and genuine motives.
But what are some of the most common instances when a cyber background check is required?
1. Online dating
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Online dating isn’t as flawless as it seems. Many individuals who turn out to be sex traffickers or scammers use social media platforms to lure victims in. They create fake profiles with photos and information that don’t belong to them. Some people fall for this, as they ignore the red flags that give away the fraudsters.
A cyber background check is necessary in this case to learn more about a potential partner's online behavior and verify the authenticity of their identity before engaging in a relationship.
2. Protecting your children
When your children spend too much time online chatting with people you don’t know anything about, stepping in is the smartest option in this situation. They might be texting their friends, but they might also be involved in dangerous activities that can harm them.
In this case, it’s only smart to perform a cyber background check on those who your child is talking to online.
3. Verifying online connections
If your accounts on social media platforms are private, you already do a lot to protect yourself online. However, it’s still important to know who’s watching your online activity, especially if your accounts are public.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, 1 in 4 people who lost money to fraud since 2021 said it began on social media platforms. To avoid becoming a victim, a cyber background check is an effective solution.
4. Roommate or tenant screening
Whether you’re planning to share a space with someone or want to rent out your property, it’s wise to look into your potential roommate’s or tenant’s public records to ensure you’re dealing with trustworthy individuals.
Criminal records are the first thing to pay attention to; eviction history, financial stability, and red flags on social media are also worth checking.
5. Hiring decisions
Cyber background checks are highly popular among employers who hire employees for certain positions, particularly those handling a company’s sensitive information. They include accountants, auditors, cybersecurity specialists, financial advisors, directors, HR managers, data scientists, and more.
Since these positions involve a high level of responsibility, a cyber background check is necessary to mitigate risks by ensuring that individuals with access to sensitive data or significant responsibilities have a trustworthy digital history and no concerning online behavior.
6. Protecting company reputation
In some cases, businesses monitor their employees’ online activities to protect the company’s public image. Some people can share information without any second thought, which can lead to data leakage and other serious concerns.
How to Conduct a Cyber Background Check
1. If Required, Obtain Consent
Before starting a cyber background check, ensure you have the individual’s consent, especially if the check is for employment or other formal purposes. This is required under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
2. Collect Basic Information
Full name, email address, phone number, and social media handles are the details you need to run a cyber background check. The email address is necessary to find any linked social media profiles; the same goes for the phone number and social media handles.
3. Search on Social Media Platforms
Start by searching for the person whose information you need on major social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. Check their profiles for any red flags such as discriminatory remarks, aggressive language, or involvement in illegal activities.
Then, cross-check the information. Make sure the details provided by the person (e.g., job titles, education) match what’s listed on their profiles.
4. Conduct a Google Search
Google is a treasure trove of information. What’s ever been mentioned on social media, news websites, people search engines, public records, and other resources, can be found through Google. Mind, however, that it only locates indexed pages, which means that if one critical page hasn’t been noticed by Google’s bots, then this page won’t appear in search results.
Nevertheless, searching on Google is worth a shot, and usually all important information can be found there.
5. Explore Public Records
Check local, state, or national databases to see if a person has been involved in any criminal history. It’s also wise to look into court records to search for any involvement in civil or criminal cases.
Exploring public records is one of the most effective methods, as the data on these resources can’t be made up or hidden, as in this case with social media profiles, for instance.
6. Use Background Check Tools
Background check tools gather information from public sources and compile it into reports, which makes it easier to access the details. However, some background check tools require payment for certain information, especially the one related to criminal activities.
It’s also worth noticing that some people search websites don’t allow conducting searches for employment background checks. So, before you begin your search, make sure the website can be used for certain purposes.
Conclusion
A cyber background check is essential in various instances, from verifying an online date to checking potential employees. It’s one of the most effective methods to see what people are hiding from others because it’s important to know how to protect yourself and your data these days.
It’s always better to be a little too careful than suffer the consequences of not searching for the necessary information.
