| Comment Number: | 531096-00034 |
| Received: | 8/3/2007 4:47:50 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Eric Haskins |
| State: | VA |
| Agency: | Federal Trade Commission |
| Rule: | Private Sector Use of SSNs |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
I think the idea of using a 9 digit number is idiotic in the best of circumstances. A number that is both a taxpayer Identifier and a password in many instances is foolish in the extreme. Understandably, it is necessary for some form of ID or number to identify taxpayers for the Social security System, but a 9 digit number please. Come up with something a bit more secure. I have been extremely afraid that someone will let slip what my social security number: on a form, or a website ,or a correspondence, so much so in fact that I have asked people to not use it. With little if any result. A SSN in these days of electronic surveillance is a very very simple number to acquire. With that number I can then start to assemble electronic dossier on people and electronically become them. This number has too much valuable information connected to it and should be phased out as quickly as possible in every circumstance. Lastly, a SSN should not be used as both a "key" and the "Identifier", this is a major flaw in this system. Some form of two or three factor authentication should be used, by two factor I mean something I know ( such as a number) and something I have ( such as a fingerprint) and adding a third factor ( the key fobs used with RSA ( some random number matching in both systems) would be a phenomenal idea. Best of luck folks, I'm counting on some better system than something that was dreamed up over 70 years ago.