Researchers: Social Security Numbers Can Be Guessed

The Washington Post ^ | 2009-07-06 | Brian Krebs

[rabscuttle385]

Researchers have found that it is possible to guess many -- if not all -- of the nine digits in an individual's Social Security number using publicly available information, a finding they say compromises the security of one of the most widely used consumer identifiers in the United States.

Many numbers could be guessed at by simply knowing a person's birth data, the researchers from Carnegie Mellon University said.

[JRandomFreeper]

In other breaking news, I predict the sun will rise in the east tomorrow.

/johnny

[rabscuttle385]

ping!

[GOPJ]

Sure was nice of the Washington Post to share that information with identity thieves. I wonder if they paid for access...

[kromike]

I can reasonably guess that The First Thug and The First Klingon are filthy anti-American scumbags who are completely clueless.

[TexGuy]

I guess they will have to tag us now in the hand or the forehead.

[DonaldC]

Well, within a decade the system will crash and the SS number will be meaningless.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

. . . numbers could be guessed at by simply knowing a person's [real] birth data, . . . .

Thank goodness the President's SSN is safe

[mad_as_he$$]

This is NOT news to ID thieves.

[boomop1]

LOL doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this.

[kromike]

Thank goodness the President's SSN is safe

LOL! Thanks to the Puppy-Dog Media, pretty much all information about The First Thug is safely secured away in a lockbox.

[Misterioso]

Hardly meaningless. The Social Security scheme was designed to assign every citizen a tracking number. Roosevelt’s worst legacy.

[huldah1776]

So, when we stop using SS# for credit ID and they have to come up with another world system, it will be 3 sets of 6 digits including letters.

[DonaldC]

We have the technology to go biometric...there is no need for a number for credit.

[sten]

this is not news. this was ‘out there’ at least 5 years ago. and yes, all they really need is the last 4 digits of your ssno

meanwhile... weren’t the founders vehemently opposed to a national id number? (which they could have done ‘back then’)

[mainestategop]

Its time to rid ourselves of this evil program. Social Security has created Social Insecurity. The people in charge are uncaring bastards who deny benefits to the old and weak and give away big bucks from taxpayers to crack heads in housing projects who refuse to work.

Now we have this work verification system coming in that will keep citizens from working. Illegal aliens will have no problem with getting around this law.

Also the fact that we are given numbers for identification to keep tabs on us smacks of a police state.

Its time to rid ourselves of this inefficient and bloated administration and go back to the values of the family system. It works far better.

[Roccus]

The Social Security number's first three digits -- called the "area number" -- is issued according to the Zip code of the mailing address provided in the application form.

I call BS!!

[tfecw]

Sure was nice of the Washington Post to share that information with identity thieves. I wonder if they paid for access...

Security by obscurity is not a good security solution. Just because *you* didn't know this, doesn't mean the people who make it their business to know these things, didn't.

[CA Conservative]

The Social Security number's first three digits -- called the "area number" -- is issued according to the Zip code of the mailing address provided in the application form.

I call BS!!

I am not sure about the zip code, but it is related to geography. My oldest sister and I were both born in east Texas, but 3 years apart - the first 5 digits of our SSNs are the same. My other sister was born in CA in less than a year before me, and her SSN is nothing like mine.

[Roccus]

Got my SS#, as well as a few other people, years before there were Zip codes.

[Safetgiver]

I see you were never a cop. Every cop is given the list of SSAN # that show the state the guy comes from. So, for instance, if a guy is pulled over you ask where he came from he says PA, and you ask what his SS# is and he says 334-**-**** you have probable cause to hold him. PA has numbers, I believe, from 169-212.

[Roccus]

1) Suppose he moved? I no longer live in the state where I got my SS# some 50 years ago. (back then we didn’t get them at birth)

2) I would NEVER give my SS# to an officer! My DL is my ID and it doesn’t use my SS#

3) The bottom line of my SS card states,
“FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND TAX PURPOSES - NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION”

[huldah1776]

Ah, yes, forgot.

[Roccus]

The article specifically mentioned Zip codes, not area.

Look, I'm not saying that SS info cannot be found out. The government can do anything. But if it's gonna be found out, it'll be without my assistance

[LuxMaker]

Most likely the professional identity thieves already knew.

[Nabber]

OK, I just tested this, using the Social Security Death Index, which is available for free on the web.

Let’s assume you could find my birth date (www.birthdatabase.com), and let’s assume I was still living in Indiana, where I applied for my SSN (I don’t live there anymore, and I doubt anyone could find out that I did in fact live there—it’s nowhere on the web).

I put in my birth date and Indiana, and I got 9 hits for people’s deaths. Only 1 of the deceased had my first 5 digits exactly. That still leaves 4 digits (0 to 9) to guess: 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 possibilities, or 10,000 possibilities. And that’s assuming you guessed right on the 1 of 9 people who had my same first-5 digits......

[rabscuttle385]

http://www.usrecordsearch.com/ssn.htm

[Tawiskaro]

Read SSA’s “Structure of the Social Security Number”: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/aboutpoms

[Tawiskaro]

This is more precise: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0100201030!opendocument

[Roccus]

I stand corrected and thank you all.

[techrules2002]

Thank goodness the President’s SSN is safe

You would have to know his birthdate - - - - - and that’s on his real BC.

[GOPJ]

Most likely the professional identity thieves already knew.

I'm sure that's true - but now a lot of the "not so professional" potential thieves also know.

[bamahead]

Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
(View past Libertarian pings here)

[Clinging Bitterly]

Y’know, we really need to move away from the use of Social Security number as the default form of ID. For lots of reasons beyond the fact it was not the intent of the act to use the administration's issued account numbers as ID, ever.

The big thing is it's essentially a password, and a very weak password at that - which resides without any protection whatsoever in more places than a thinking person would care to imagine.

I prefer something of each person's own design, which can be, by that individual alone, revoked and changed at will. There's a little bit more to that kicking around in my brain, but what I envision would be accessible yet strong.