IT professionals can save themselves a great deal of hassle by working with counsel to standardize on a communication methodology that addresses potential discovery-related activity. A useful strategy would define a communication channel with counsel whereby IT personnel can be brought in to the discovery process as early as possible.

If you’re like most of us in IT, you probably have a relatively small number of individuals in your firm that you’re used to working with fairly closely.

For example, if you’re a development manager, you probably work closely on a daily basis with the business folks to understand their requirements for the systems you develop. If you’re a network architect, you might work closely with software architects in order to optimize the network to support the applications Get the Facts on BlackBerry Business Solutions that people use daily.

Part of CFO Sink’s 3-day crackdown on insurance fraud

After several months of investigations, dozens of suspects from Pensacola to Miami will be arrested the week of January 22nd for insurance fraud schemes that totaled at least $1 million. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the three-day operation as it kicked off Tuesday, stating she wants to send a strong message that Florida will not tolerate this costly crime.

In Miami, an early-morning sweep already netted three arrest of suspects accused of bilking the insurance industry on Tuesday.

Computer monitoring software can uncover exactly what computer users are doing online. Anyone interested in installing this type of software, though, needs to select the program carefully.

According to a 2001 American Management Association survey, 77.7% of major U.S. companies used computer surveillance to check employee e-mail, Internet use, phone calls, computer use, and files. Some companies even used computer surveillance to videotape workers. The reason is not hard to see: According to IDC Research, 30 to 40% of Internet use during work hours is for personal use. Employers are concerned that they are losing worker productivity, thanks to employees who use work hours to surf the Internet and to send personal email. Employers are also concerned that workers who use company computers to commit fraud crimes, or use the system to send sexually explicit materials may embroil the company in a lawsuit.

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Most parents would assume any adult their child comes into contact with in a Boston public school has undergone a background check– as required by a 2002 law. They would be wrong with that assumption.

Parents at the McCormack Middle School told WBZ they assume every employee has undergone a criminal background check.

“I would assume they would do a thorough background check especially with everything that’s happened in schools lately,” said parent Akil Hashim.

But now they’re learning about Richard Young, a gym teacher in Boston schools for more than 20 years.

Hingham police say he gave them a different name last week when they pulled him over on suspicion of drunk driving.

You’ve pledged your love to each other, written mash notes and insisted this time it’s for real. Welcome to the world of broken hearts, where all those promises get blown away in the blink of an infidelity.

If you’re in that boat, Pam Seatle has details on how you can stay afloat during the mutiny and the high tech help that’s available for those tracking a cheating heart. To see her report, click the video links.

Inherent bias in the news media affects which missing persons get coverage - and which don’t
In 2005, there were approximately 109,531 active missing persons in North America. According to The National Crime Information Centre, this includes individuals of varying age, sex, race and class.

With such a large number, it is next to impossible for journalists to cover every missing person story, in addition to the other unrelated events that occur every day. As a result, the general public is exposed to only a small fraction of that number through the media.

Aside from the parents of missing children, there is no group more intimately involved with and deeply affected by missing children cases than law enforcement officers. You know the extreme dangers a missing child faces in the hands of the wrong person and you will do whatever it takes to find that child and return him or her home safely.

The emotions of the family of a missing child understandably run high - many of you, as parents, can empathize. At times, parents’ frantic attempts to participate in the search for their child may interfere with your job and their fear and frustration mixed with their lack of understanding of how the investigatory process works may cause them to lose sight of the fact that your goal is identical to theirs - to find the child as quickly as possible using all resources available.

Many criminal histories are being revealed through a state background check put in place last year to protect people in state-licensed programs.

One in three job seekers run through the check since March triggered a criminal alert, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services.

Background checkers reviewed 7,100 applications for jobs at state-licensed or certified facilities, such as nursing and assisted living homes. Of those, 34 percent of the checks indicated the job seeker had at least been charged with a crime.

Want to deliver pizzas? Want a job as the cable guy?

If so, employers in Chicago could need a name, date of birth, Social Security number, fingerprints and a home history for your last seven years during the prehiring process.

An ordinance the Chicago City Council is considering would require employees of any company with a Chicago business license to pass a criminal background check and wear an identification badge — if their job requires them to enter customers’ homes.

Someone applying for a position that involves such entry, who has been convicted of a violent crime or sexual offense, would not be hired.

Also, employees involved in these positions may not be under the influence of alcohol or illegal addictive drugs while on the clock if the new rules pass.

The story of how police found two missing boys in Missouri — one of them missing for four years — gives hope to parents of missing children everywhere.

It might be an entry point for you to look at some of the longest-running cases in your community.

The parents of Shawn Hornbeck said they hope their son’s rescue will add “new fuel” to the hope of missing kids’ parents everywhere.

Not since Elizabeth Smart’s resurfacing has there been so much hope for parents in such desperate situations.

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