Security Standards

We understand the importance of meeting certain compliance standards for particular industries, and we provide tailored screening solutions to support these obligations. Below is a list of just some of the security standards which we help our clients meet on a daily basis.

HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard

The BPSS was created to help mitigate the risk of identity fraud, reduce the number of illegal workers, and to protect national security. The BPSS outlines the pre-employment background checks that all civil servants, members of the armed forces, temporary staff and government contractors must undergo before they are granted access to government assets.

Sterling’s HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard employment screening package is in accordance with the recommended checks, and includes the following:

• Basic Criminal Disclosure
• ID Verification
• Right to Work Verification
• 3 Year Employment & Activity Verification
• Character Reference

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

PCI DSS is a set of 12 requirements that companies handling credit card information must follow. It was developed to ensure customers’ payment data is secure and protected and is enforced through annual audits. All organisations that hold, process, or exchange cardholder information from the following brands must comply with the standard: American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard, and Visa. Organisations that choose not to comply face a range of penalties, including large fines. Among the PCI DSS requirements are recommendations for screening individuals who have access to customer payment data. The following background checks are recommended:

• Basic Criminal Disclosure with ID Verification
• Credit Enquiry (including six-year address and electoral roll verification, County Court Judgements, Administration Orders, Insolvencies, and Voluntary Arrangements)
• Employment & Activity Verification of the last two employers (at a minimum)

British Standard 7858:2019

The orientation of the standard centres around companies that hire individuals working within secure environments. The former BS7858:2012 was withdrawn on the 31st March 2020 and superseded by an updated version which was introduced on the 30th September 2019. BS7858 has undergone multiple revisions over the years by the British Standards Institution, and is widely used as it provides a comprehensive and robust benchmark organisations can mirror.

A package that is fully compliant (for non-security roles) with the BS7858 standard may consist of:

• 5 Year Activity and Gap verification – with any gaps of 31 days or more verified
• Basic Criminal Record Check
• Credit Enquiry
• Right to Work Check
• Public Safety Verification
• Directorship Search

In addition, the following options can be included within a package:

• Security Industry Authority (SIA) license search – for security roles
• Social media search