Session to address prevalence, drivers, and impact of cybercrime, with a focus on personnel assessment approaches to cybercrime prevention
Chicago, IL, August 11, 2011 — Vangent, Inc., a leading provider of pre-employment risk assessments, today announced that a research study conducted by its Human Capital Sciences Unit has been selected to be presented at the 2011 Society for Police and Criminal Psychology conference, to be held in Chicago, IL October 18-21. Three psychologists from the company’s Risk and Talent Management unit, Dr. John W. “Jack” Jones, Chief Scientist and Vice President, Dr. Kelly D. Dages, a Senior Organizational Psychologist & Program Evaluator, and Brian W. Dreschler, M.A., Senior Human Capital Research Psychologist conducted the study. Dr. Jones, an I/O psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in the field and who helped to found the Association of Test Publishers, will make the presentation on A Personnel Selection Approach to Insider Cybercrime Prevention. The Society for Police and Criminal Psychology’s annual conference convenes some of the industry’s top practitioners and researchers to discuss the application of scientific knowledge to problems in criminal justice and workplace crime.
Dr. Jones’ presentation will address the prevalence, drivers, and impact of cybercrime, with a focus on personnel assessment approaches to insider cybercrime prevention. As the costs and sophistication of cybercrimes continue to grow and the Department of Justice has established a comprehensive program designed to combat electronic penetrations, data thefts, and cyber-attacks on critical information systems, cybercrime incidents have dominated the news. While organizations are at risk for cybercrimes from outsiders, individuals within an organization may have easier access to databases and networks for either supporting or actually committing cybercrimes (A 2009 survey by the Computer Security Institute revealed that nearly 45% of responding corporations, agencies, and institutions stated that at least some of their losses due to cyber attacks were attributable to malicious insiders).
The presentation highlights that one of the first steps in the prevention of insider cybercrimes may be through the personnel selection process, and that the use of a personnel selection assessment focused on risk factors such as low ethics and integrity, coupled with a history of cyber-threats, may help to identify applicants at high risk for cybercrimes. To test this position, Dr. Jones will present two case studies in which Vangent psychologists screened more than 6,500 job candidates and collected nearly 575 admissions of cyber-crimes and cyber-misconduct from the two applicant groups. The practical implications of this research are discussed.
“Cybercrime headlines are writing themselves faster than organizations seem to be able to react right now,” said Dr. Jones, who was awarded diplomat status in I/O psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). “A common misperception is that cybercrimes are primarily external intrusions and that organizations may be limited in anticipating their source. Our presentation highlights that not only is this not the case, but also that organizations have significant ability to limit risk or to invite it in depending on who they hire, and the human capital risk management systems they have in place. Dr. Jones has spent his career (much of it with Vangent’s Risk and Talent Management unit) helping organizations to address and reduce contemporary risk exposures, from counter-productivity to asset protection to criminal behavior that can threaten their very livelihood.
“We are honored that Jack has been chosen to present at the 2011 SPCP conference, which offers a critical forum for examining criminal psychology that increasingly has a vital workplace nexus,” said Andre Allen, Vice President of Vangent’s Risk and Talent Management unit. “The examination of law enforcement and criminal psychology in the workplace through an industrial/organizational lens is an important tool for helping organizations to better address contemporary areas of risk.”
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About Vangent, Inc.
Vangent, Inc. is a global provider of consulting, systems integration, human capital management, and business process services to the U.S. federal and international governments, higher education institutions, and corporations. Vangent’s more than 7,000 employees support clients including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, and Veterans Affairs; and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the company has offices throughout the U.S. and in the U.K. and Canada. For more information, visit www.vangent.com or www.vangent-hcm.com. Did you know? Four out of 10 Americans connect with Vangent, but never know it. Learn more at www.vangent.com/4outof10.
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