AICPA Announces www.realestatejobs.com Meets WebTrust Standards for Online Privacy Protection After Examination by Leading CPA Firm, Grant Thornton LLP

Business Wire, Sept 5, 2001

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept 5, 2001

First Career Site to Receive WebTrust Online Privacy Seal

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) announced today that www.realestatejobs.com, a job search and career development Web site for the real estate industry that was developed in 2001 by the executive search firm, Gillham, Golbeck & Associates, has met the WebTrust standards for online privacy protection.

As the result of a thorough examination of the site's policies and controls relating to protection of private information, leading CPA firm Grant Thornton LLP awarded the first seal issued to an online career site under the WebTrust Program for Online Privacy.

"When looking through our database of available real estate industry jobs and submitting resumes to specific employers, potential candidates want to know that their sensitive personal information is secure and that we do what we say we do in terms of information privacy," said Rick Gillham, principal of realestatejobs.com. "Through Grant Thornton's audit of our privacy policies and controls, we are able to demonstrate that we in fact comply with our privacy policy, and that our policy also complies with major international privacy guidelines and laws. We are very pleased to be the first online career site to have met the standards of the WebTrust Online Privacy Program, and in so doing, set the benchmark for our industry."

"The amount of sensitive information flowing across the Internet today is staggering," said Chris Leach, Partner and National Director of Technology Risk Management at Grant Thornton. "Online businesses need solutions that not only protect personal and private information of their customers, but that also set a benchmark against which all businesses can be measured. The WebTrust Program for Online Privacy sets the standard for privacy best practices on the Internet and helps businesses prove to their customers that they are doing what they say they are doing in their privacy policies."

"Unlike privacy programs that only require companies to promise that they adhere to online privacy best practices, the WebTrust Program for Online Privacy involves a consultative process with a CPA that includes regular testing and verification of a site's policies, procedures, disclosures, technology and infrastructure to provide assurance that private information is being collected, maintained and distributed in a protected and secure manner," said Anthony Pugliese, Vice President of Member Innovation at the AICPA.

"Online privacy protection can't be solved merely by technology, software or promises," added Leach. "WebTrust blends the best technology tools with a comprehensive, online privacy examination to provide a complete privacy solution. As CPAs, we educate business owners about global privacy and security regulations, and we train Web businesses to avoid many of the pitfalls of e-business."

The WebTrust Program for Online Privacy is a comprehensive, e-business privacy solution that protects e-commerce users by enabling online businesses to continuously comply with, and verify adherence to, all significant international privacy laws, regulations and standards. The WebTrust Program provides businesses with a built-in tool to respond to and help resolve customer concerns about privacy matters. The WebTrust Online Privacy Seal is evidence that the site has met all of the WebTrust privacy criteria and has been independently verified by a CPA firm.

As a global service, WebTrust continuously monitors and incorporates privacy regulations and procedures, thereby helping businesses understand and comply with international laws or regulations. The WebTrust Program for Online Privacy complies with significant privacy guidelines and regulations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union (EU), the Global Business Dialogue for E-commerce (GBDe) and other significant guidelines in Canada and the United States.

About realestatejobs.com

Launched in 2001, realestatejobs.com is the premier job search and career development web site singularly dedicated to the real estate industry. The site offers job listings arranged by position titles unique to the real estate market. Full disclosure of the hiring organization including contact information is a requirement of the site and allows for fully informed, confidential candidate response. For companies, realestatejobs.com is a powerful marketing tool that offers exposure to a highly targeted audience, and an efficient avenue for receiving direct candidate responses to specific openings. All site visitors can benefit from ready access to industry trends, links, salary surveys and useful human resource information.

About the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the ISO 9001 certified national professional organization of CPAs in the United States with more than 340,000 members in public practice, business and industry, government, and education. For more information about WebTrust, please visit www.webtrust.org.