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SSC Security Matters

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning Is Valuable to Businesses & Governments

By Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP

Large business is keenly aware that their business success relies on a strategic continuity and disaster planning that is tested and proven. Since 9/11, the Asian tsunami and like events, everything is foreseeable in the eyes of a reasonable and prudent man. I’m not so sure that small businesses have that view.

Various collected statistics in the space indicate that:

 • 43% of small businesses that experience a disaster will never recover
 • 25% of the remaining companies will close within 2 years

What do businesses believe disasters are? Are they defined in their minds to be weather events or terrorist attacks? Is the extent of their plan "being closed for a snow day?"

Business Continuity >

Demanding Economy Causes Increase in Fraud

By Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP & Sara Sibley, CPA, CFE

There is an emerging need for prevention, detection and recovery strategies in the face of the increasing frequency of corporate fraud. SSC’s risk mitigation experts have predicted that the negative ramifications of a troubled economy and the implications of isolation, anxiety and stress, are all contributing factors to this growing problem.

Older methodologies address only the typical indicators of fraud, which include “pressure, opportunity and rationalization.” These are no longer sufficient, instead, a holistic view of the entire corporate security culture is necessary to prevent and detect fraudulent activities.

Increased Fraud >

Importance of Thorough Background Checks

By Maribeth DiIulio
Proper pre-employment background screening is an essential security function to all businesses of every industry. A company becomes vulnerable to unqualified and inexperienced staff when credentials are not examined and verified. Pre-employment background screening protects a corporation’s people and property. On the other hand, non-thorough checks cost money and open the door to criminal liability and damage to the reputation of the corporation. All companies should research and invest in good hiring practices.

Background Checks >

Social Networking Sites: An Investigator's Hidden Camera

By Sara Sibley, CPA, CFE
Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter have recently become productive investigation tools for private investigators; in particular, workers’ compensation claims investigators. There have been an increasing number of cases in which investigators have found postings and photographs on social networking sites by individuals alleging injuries in which they are engaging in activities that discredit their claims. In addition to being a useful tool to discredit these claims, information obtained on these sites also provides valuable leads to guide the investigation. According to Pierre Khoury, a special investigator for Harleysville Group Inc., a Harleysville, Pennsylvania-based insurer, and a member of the Baltimore-based International Association of Special Investigation Units remarked "It’s the new video camera…now we have a new kind of video camera, but we are not actually the ones filming. They are filming it for us."

Social Networking >

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Yours truly,
Beth Gabriel
Marketing Communications Manager
(203) 925-6162
Email

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