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Every American's Social Security number, address may have been stolen in hack (www.fox5dc.com)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Isn't it the address being leaked with it that makes this notable?

You can't add a number to a SSN and also add a number to the street address to then narrow down which full names are associated with that SSN to then possibly be able to use it.

I didn't think the number had any use on its own

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

The address does make it a lot more useful, but the point that I am making is simply that the number itself has never been secure, and this kinda failure was inevitable due to only needing slightly more info than the number itself. A number which itself is already partially identifying.

We shouldn't use social security numbers like we do.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

I mean it says right on the fucking card not to .

But some institutions insist.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Sure it shouldn't be used like this. But incrementing a number isn't enough to steal someone's identity.