William Larsen

26 million veterans have their data stolen

It is simply amazing that after all the identity theft in the news plus 9/11 that a government employee is so stupid as to take a disc home with 26 million social security numbers, names and birth dates of veterans and then loose it.

I have been extremely vigilant since getting a social security number to not give it to healthcare providers, insurance companies, utilities, etc. For over 35 years I have restricted who had access to my SS# and what it could be used for. In fact I did not let employers use it as my health insurance number nor a 401K account number or pin. Employers’ simple created a special number for me. Now after all this vigilance, it may have been for nothing.

I will say it again, the social security number is not a secure identifier and using it as identification to obtain a passport, driver’s license, open a bank account or what ever is about as stupid as it comes. But what do you expect from our representatives? Requiring a social security number adds nothing to the security of the United States. If anything it makes us more vulnerable. It is the weakest link.

Congress needs to pass legislation making it against the law to use the Social Security number for anything but social security. Back in 1935 the Social Security Administration promised that the social security number would not become a universal identifier. Another broken promise.

posted by William Larsen @ 2:12 AM