Ryanair admits flaws in online recruitment
The low-cost airline Ryanair is asking pilots to send confidential details of their career as well as their credit card number over the internet without any protection against hackers.
Potential recruits are asked to fill in a form on Ryanair's website.
But when they submit the information, a message appears warning that the message is being sent via e-mail without encryption for privacy.
"There's no reason whatsoever why they can't write a routine on their website to encrypt the message," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at the anti-virus firm Sophos.
'Secure by next Wednesday'
Ryanair has admitted that there is a flaw in their system.
"It will be secure by the middle of next week," Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive told the BBC's Working Lunch programme.
"We don't want to delay the recruitment of new people, especially when pilots are being laid off by UK airlines."
"The security issue is not deterring many hundreds of people applying to us for these well-paid jobs," he insisted.
The only way to apply for a pilot's job with Ryanair is via the internet.
"Don't ring, don't fax, don't post, don't drop-off, this is the only way an application will be processed," says the company on its website.
Fee for CV
On the site, pilots are asked to provide detailed information about their flight career, including the type of aircraft flown and how many hours experience they have.
They are also asked to pay a fee of £50 to have their CVs considered.
Mr O'Leary defended his company's decision to charge a fee, saying the aim was to reduce spurious applications.
"We're one of the few people in the airline industry actually creating jobs and we're recruiting people to jobs that pay £100,000 a year.
"We have no difficulty in getting people to apply for them."