Data Security in Digital Recruitment: Beyond Ghost Jobs and Applicant Data Exploitation - The Recruitment Security Framework (RSF)

This paper introduces the Recruitment Security Framework (RSF), an architectural and policy-driven approach designed to address emerging data privacy vulnerabilities, fraudulent job postings ("ghost jobs"), and applicant data exploitation in digital recruitment ecosystems. As recruitment processes increasingly rely on automated platforms, candidate data exposure and deceptive employer practices pose significant risks to job seekers and organizational integrity. The RSF framework proposes systematic mitigation strategies—incorporating identity verification protocols (KYC/biometrics), transparent data governance, and cryptographic auditability—to restore trust, secure candidate PII (Personally Identifiable Information), and enforce accountability across digital recruitment workflows.