Job interviewers asking for facebook passwords

[ChristianLady1978]

I work for the federal government. I'm sure they can see anything I put on facebook . . . or here.
I tend to be careful what I post.
I still think it's inappropriate and should be illegal for anyone to demand my password to ANYTHING. My boss is not even allowed to ask for my work password(s).

Lucky. My boss mandates that we keep our network password and voice mail passwords updated on a shared spreadsheet so if anyone needs to access our computers or voice mails when we're out of the office they can. I don't agree with it, but I don't have any control over the situation.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Tell your boss, Courtney that the sharing of passwords is extremely bad data security practice. So, if you have your boss's e'mail password you can go in a delete that important e'mail he's been waiting for?? Or, you can e'mail the bank that holds your accounts and shift funds around? Surely they haven't thought this through. The loss of data that could occur if a disgruntled employee kept a copy of the spreadsheet of passwords could absolutely RUIN a company.

If you work for a large corp and this is an area office, you should put a bug in the tech dept.'s ear about this sort of practice. If you work for a small company you need to have a sitdown with your boss and give him a book on data security practices. If you work for a health care organization that deals with any sort of patient date, you are ALREADY in violation of HIPAA so you need to go here: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html and make a complaint.

Sharing of passwords is bad, bad, BAD stuff!

 

[Godspeaks2me]

It’s very unfortunate the type of Scams that are going on these day’s and they are only getting more crafty. I heard on the news that men are sending little teenage girls to knock on doors to make sure nobody is home before they rob the place. Online and Telephone scam’s are running rampant and they zero in on older, senior citizens, going after there social security and bank account’s. Very sad, but we just all need to be aware of it and double check our right’s and every thing that has to do with our identity, passwords, bank info and social security numbers. It’s smart to shred all personal info and mail before you toss it in the garbage, it’s sad that we have to take these sort of measures but we need to protect ourselves.

 

[Don]

It’s very unfortunate the type of Scams that are going on these day’s and they are only getting more crafty. I heard on the news that men are sending little teenage girls to knock on doors to make sure nobody is home before they rob the place. Online and Telephone scam’s are running rampant and they zero in on older, senior citizens, going after there social security and bank account’s. Very sad, but we just all need to be aware of it and double check our right’s and every thing that has to do with our identity, passwords, bank info and social security numbers. It’s smart to shred all personal info and mail before you toss it in the garbage, it’s sad that we have to take these sort of measures but we need to protect ourselves.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you've posted; however, the problem identified in this thread is that people interviewing for a job are being asked for their Facebook passwords; and potentially being denied employment if they don't provide those passwords.

So the issue here isn't protecting ourselves, which we should do; it's whether we should provide our passwords, thus giving up personal privacy, in order to be employed.

 

[Godspeaks2me]

it's whether we should provide our passwords, thus giving up personal privacy, in order to be employed.

No, we should not.:thumbs: :godisgood:

 

[ChristianLady1978]

Tell your boss, Courtney that the sharing of passwords is extremely bad data security practice. So, if you have your boss's e'mail password you can go in a delete that important e'mail he's been waiting for?? Or, you can e'mail the bank that holds your accounts and shift funds around? Surely they haven't thought this through. The loss of data that could occur if a disgruntled employee kept a copy of the spreadsheet of passwords could absolutely RUIN a company.

If you work for a large corp and this is an area office, you should put a bug in the tech dept.'s ear about this sort of practice. If you work for a small company you need to have a sitdown with your boss and give him a book on data security practices. If you work for a health care organization that deals with any sort of patient date, you are ALREADY in violation of HIPAA so you need to go here: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html and make a complaint.

Sharing of passwords is bad, bad, BAD stuff!

I wish that my boss adhered to his own practice of sharing passwords, but he and the assistant manager don't have their passwords on the shared spreadsheet.

I never thought about getting our IT department involved. I work for a rather large food service distributor and I do work in the office. Our part of the building contains the credit department (where I am), accounting, and profit management. My boss heads the credit and accounting departments. And I know that our three temps in the office use my AS400 login and password because the company doesn't allow temps to have their own login and password. (So when something gets messed up, I end up getting blamed because my ID is tied to it.) I don't like doing it, but I am low man on the totem pole and they don't care what I think. I'm expected to be a drone and deal with it.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Some things are worth loosing a job over. If you've already taken flak for someone else's mistakes because temps are using your credentials, you'll end up taking the blame for something bigger and being fired. Your boss has a boss. That is who you should talk too. But expect to catch MORE flak before it's over. Oh, and keep a copy of the spread sheet for your own records. That way you'll have proof of what they were doing. MOF, I'd consider sending a copy of it to your boss's boss just so he knows how wide open his system is. At the very least I'd let IT know that you and others all have access to each other's id's and passwords.

BUT I'm a troublemaker, so take my advice and consider it carefully. The job market is tough right now and if you need the job, you need the job.

 

[ChristianLady1978]

Some things are worth loosing a job over. If you've already taken flak for someone else's mistakes because temps are using your credentials, you'll end up taking the blame for something bigger and being fired. Your boss has a boss. That is who you should talk too. But expect to catch MORE flak before it's over. Oh, and keep a copy of the spread sheet for your own records. That way you'll have proof of what they were doing. MOF, I'd consider sending a copy of it to your boss's boss just so he knows how wide open his system is. At the very least I'd let IT know that you and others all have access to each other's id's and passwords.

BUT I'm a troublemaker, so take my advice and consider it carefully. The job market is tough right now and if you need the job, you need the job.

Sadly, I need the job for now so I tolerate a lot of mess just to bring home the paycheck. Our plan is once my husband's new career (care salesman) is successful I'll be able to go back to being a stay home mom. We want to have another baby but can't afford day care for more kids so are putting it off until we have the income to let me stay home. It's $540 a month for my 3 year old to be in day care as it is. Adding a baby to that would be financial suicide.

 

[Don]

One other thing you might consider: Most companies should have you sign some piece of paper before you get an account, that basically says you understand your responsibilities about using the company network. It might even say that you're not supposed to give your password to anyone, or write it down, or other stuff. I say most companies do this, because it's a legal thing that keeps the company from getting in trouble if someone is found to be using the company internet connections for illegal activity.

If you did sign such a piece of paper, but don't have a copy, the Human Resources department (or whoever does hiring/firing) should have a copy in your personnel folder. Or the IT department should have a copy on file.

All that to say: You could possibly tell your boss that you don't want anyone to get in trouble, but you're worried about the temps using your password, and hey, you found this IT agreement that says you're not supposed to be sharing your password. That is, if your company actually had you sign such an agreement. You'll need to phrase it terms of what's best for the company.

If he blows you off, I highly recommend you start keeping a log of when you are "ordered" to share your password with anyone else; and if possible, exactly who is using your password, and when they're using it. It's a pain in the backside, but if something illegal happens, the burden of proof will be on you. The network logs will all show that it was you on a certain terminal; you'll have to get them to look for your log-on being used on another terminal at the same time; comparison with time cards (if you use them) to show that you weren't at work at the time; any written proof that passwords are shared; etc.

If/when it comes time to defend yourself, if you don't have the documentation, you'll become the scapegoat.

 

[menageriekeeper]

I agree with Don. Document, document, document!

 

[LadyEagle]

Page 5, closing thread since we are past 3 pages. Thanks. LE