The initial Social Security numbers were most likely issued in late 1936, and they were intended to be used solely by the US federal government to manage retirement and disability insurance payouts. However, in the 1960s, the use of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers skyrocketed as government agencies adopted automated data processing in their recordkeeping.
Today, if you apply for a credit card, buy a property, or even receive a pay cheque, you must provide your Social Security number. It’s perhaps the most vital piece of identification you have, yet data breaches are increasingly exposing private numbers. According to the Los Angeles Times, hackers recently hacked background-checking organisation National Public Data, acquiring the personal data of 2.9 billion people, including the Social Security numbers of every citizen in the United States.
Due to the fact that almost all US citizens and permanent residents possess a Social Security number, cell phone providers, utility companies, and even retail establishments now require these numbers for authentication. They are therefore a very attractive target for identity theft.
How can you decide whether to disclose your Social Security number and when not to? We sought advice from the specialists.
This article has been indexed from CySecurity News – Latest Information Security and Hacking Incidents
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