Like this article? Digg it!

I have my resume on Monster.com - it’s currently not active or searchable, but I never took it off the site after getting my job 3 years ago, figuring that it would be safe and secure. A letter I got from Monster.com this afternoon says otherwise:

Dear Monster Customer:

Recently, a malicious software, known as Infostealer.Monstres, was used to gain unauthorized access to the Monster resume database. Regrettable, some of the contact information that was captured included your name, address, telephone number, and email address.

The letter went on to state that action had been taken to protect data in the future, and that Monster would continue to review all log ins with access to the account to make sure they were being used properly. (I’m certain that’s true, because in my job, I deal with Monster on the employer side, and I’ve been contacted in the past about compromised accounts. Monster regulates accounts for “non human access”, and when they see hundreds of resumes being accessed in a short amount of time, they investigate.)

Monster also asked that users be on the alert for fraudulent emails that appear to be from Monster.com and ask you to:

• Download software
• Ask for your banking information, or other account numbers
• Ask for a payment of any type
• Ask you to download agreements pertaining to your Monster account or a job

If you receive an email like this, which appears to be from Monster, please forward it, with the full header information intact, to siteabuse@monster.com

Do I feel safe about continuing to use Monster? Sure. My name, email, and address is already out on the internet in various places. You should NEVER put anything you’re not willing to make public, like a social security number, on a resume.