Job seeker data stolen from Monster.com… again
Monster.com’s database of information about job seeker’s registered with the site was compromised, releasing names, email addresses, passwords and other personal information for the second time in less than a year. The company is refusing to disclose the magnitude of the break-in or email its users to inform them of the breach.
Monster Worldwide has posted an advisory on its site on Jan. 23, but is not informing victims of the breach directly. Unless members sign into the site, they might not be aware of the security problems or asked to change their passwords.
The breach also applies to applicants for US Federal positions that apply through USAJobs.com which is hosted by Monster. The company also posted an advisory on that site, but victims of the data theft have not been notified.
This is the second major security incident to hit Monster Worldwide in less than a year. In mid-2007, the site was attached by a trojan virus that stole company log-in rights and used those logins to access the company’s entire job seeker database.
Monster.com was also the target of another malicious hack last year. After the company’s web site was breached, hackers uploaded a virus that infected users’ machines.
The latest breach comes directly after a spike in unemployment last month that sent millions to search for new jobs. In addition, millions of inactive job seekers maintain accounts with Monster and may not log in again to see the message for months or years.
Monster Wordwide’s spokeswoman, Nikki Richardson, refused to discuss the matter other than to say that the company will not be sending email to affected users. After earlier breaches, it seems that security issues are simply a matter of course for the company.
In the Web 2.0 age of superior online tools and transparency, its surprising to see opt not to adopt either practice. The question that remains is how long the company can maintain a leading role in the job board industry if it continues to violate users’ trust.
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