"These are reconciliations, checks and cross-checks to make sure you have paid the right amount of tax, " he said.

BBC: Millions more in line for tax rebates

Once the pool is culled to a few hundred companies, Ethisphere cross-checks it against governance lists from organizations including GMI Ratings and FTSE4Good.

FORBES: The World's Most Ethical Companies

Once the pool is culled down to a few hundred, Ethisphere cross-checks it against governance lists from organizations including GovernanceMetricsInternational and FTSE for Good.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Once the pool is culled to a few hundred companies, Ethisphere cross-checks it against governance lists from organizations including GovernanceMetrics International and FTSE for Good.

FORBES: The World's Most Ethical Companies

One of the main cross-checks is the detailed monitoring of mortality rates, which prompted the commission's investigations into the Mid-Staffordshire trust as well as at Basildon.

ECONOMIST: Hospital care

Keeping these cross-checks anonymous could promote truth-telling.

ECONOMIST: A financial benchmark that badly needs an overhaul

In the new movie, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is a similarly elite killer, though drawing his checks from the Defense Department.

WSJ: Joe Queenan on Big Government and The Bourne Legacy | Moving Targets