Social Insecurity
It’s time to reconsider wide use of identification
The recent data theft from Equifax credit reporting agency showed how vulnerable our personal information has become in an era when just about everything is done and stored online.
There have been major online security breaches before, but none of the magnitude of Equifax. About 143 million consumers had their information taken. That could lead to all sorts of problems, including identity theft.
There has been a lot of talk about what to do about cybertheft. Indeed, October as been designated Cybersecurity Awareness Month. But realistically, what can be done? Most consumers are at the mercy of companies that demand sensitive personal information before any business can be done. Try opening a bank or credit card account, starting utility service or renting a house, even filling out a job application without handing over such data—including your Social Security number.
Yes, your Social Security number. Perhaps the most sensitive piece of information that can be stolen. If a cyberthief gets hold of that and your birth date, it unlocks all sorts of possibilities for criminal activity.
Many readers will remember a time when all Social Security cards were plainly marked “For Social Security purposes—not for identification.”
The government began to chip away at that barrier in the early 1960s, authorizing the number to be used as federal employee IDs and as taxpayer ID numbers.
That wording was removed in 1972 and the floodgates were opened for commercial purposes. Now Social Security numbers are almost universally used as identification. And that’s a problem.
We don’t know for sure how to fix this. Some have suggested a separate government identification card. Others a self-selected password and pin. And, more extreme, a longer identification number similar to blockchain technology used to access crypto currencies such as Bitcoin.
The fact is Social Security numbers are an easy way to verify identity and, as such, are used more today than ever before. That’s the greatest weakness of the system. Online thieves know they are gold.
There has to be a better, more secure way. And it’s essential we find it, because cybersecurity is only going to become more important in our daily lives as cybercrime becomes more of a threat.