How to Avoid Cybersecurity Threats When Submitting Your CV Online

Looking for a job? That's easier to do in this era than in the old times. You can look for job openings on the Internet. Remote work is also a thing now. That means you can send applications to companies even if their headquarters or office is countries away from you.

How do these companies know that you are qualified? They will review your resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV). You post them online or send them to the companies that are currently hiring new employees.

But here is the thing. A CV may contain information that could put you in danger if it falls into the wrong hands. Therefore, you should consider cybersecurity threats when submitting your CV online.

In this article, we will discuss these threats as well as the best practices to avoid them. Continue reading to learn about these safety considerations.

The Dangers of Submitting Your CV Online

A CV contains a lot of information about you. It tells the reader who you are, where you live, have studied and have worked, and how to contact you. Imagine if a cybercriminal gains access to it.

There Is a High Chance It Will Lead to Identity Theft.

Cybercriminals now have a higher chance of successfully hacking your accounts. For example, if you used your birthday as your email password, they can easily open it since both information is provided in your CV.

The cybercriminals can also pretend to be you and contact the people whose information was also provided in the CV. These could cause financial loss not only for you but also for these other people.

Your reputation will also be in danger. These cybercriminals could do all sorts of acts while pretending to be you. Uninformed about the situation, other people may believe it and think you're a bad person.

Your Possessions and Even Your Life Would be at Risk.

Your CV also has your address in it. Some cybercriminals would do physical theft instead of identity theft. They may break into your house when you're away or while you are asleep. You could lose your most valuable possessions.

The sounds they make while robbing your house may wake you up. That could be a good thing since you can catch them. However, that could also put your life in danger.

You Will Receive Many Marketing Calls

This one is not as bad as the first two. However, you still would prefer for it not to happen. Cybercriminals can be connected to marketers and sell them your information. As a result, you will receive many telemarketing calls, spam emails, and unsolicited messages.

If you aren't careful enough, you could also become a victim of phishing scams and other types of scams.

The Best Safety Practices When Submitting Your CV Online

Here are some safety measures you can take to avoid the problems mentioned above.

Do Your Research

Sending your CV to any company that is looking for someone with the same skills that you have seems ideal. However, we don't recommend it.

Before hitting send, you should learn more about the website you are sending the CV to. Does the company actually exist? If it does, are you sending the CV to its official website?

It's also wise to know about the names and contact numbers of the people behind the website.

Use Virtual Private Networks

Let us say that you have identified that the organization you are sending the CV to is real and trustworthy. You should not let your guard down. Cybercriminals could still intercept your conversation. Therefore, they can get a copy of your Curriculum Vitae even if you are not sending it to them.

With that in mind, we recommend using a Virtual Private Network like the ExpressVPN solution. It encrypts your online conversations, preventing cybercriminals from intercepting them.

Using a VPN also lets you simulate browsing in different locations. Suppose you got hired. The company's server may be inaccessible in your geolocation. A VPN allows you to get past this problem. It also lets you access the said servers and resources safely.

Create an Email for Job Applications

Creating a different email to use specifically for job applications is wise. That way, even if cybercriminals gain access to your email, they wouldn't get much value from it.

The cybercriminal will not see your actual contacts. Instead, all they will see are your job applications. Admittedly, it is still not ideal. But on the bright side, it is still better than what could have been if you used your personal email. On top of that, your email and all the accounts connected to it will remain safe.

Conclusion

You should be careful when sending your Curriculum Vitae online. It can lead to identity or physical theft or an increase in telemarketing calls and scam emails. If worse comes to worst, it will put your life in jeopardy.

To avoid these problems, you can take on some safety measures. First, you can create a new email address to use only for job applications. Then, you should review the websites you are sending the CV to ensure they are trustworthy. While sending the CV, you can use a VPN to encrypt your messages.

With these practices, you can safely search for a job online.