White House wants to end Social Security numbers as a national ID

Rob Joyce, the White House cybersecurity czar, said on Tuesday that the government should end using the Social Security number as a national identification method.

"I believe the Social Security number has outlived its usefulness," said Joyce, while speaking at The Washington Post's Cybersecurity Summit. "Every time we use the Social Security number, you put it at risk."

One problem with the Social Security number, he said, is that a victim of identity theft cannot get it changed after it has been stolen.

Joyce's comments come a month after the Equifax hack, in which hackers gained access to the Social Security numbers of as many as 143 million Americans.

The Social Security number, originally a code for federal retirement benefits, has grown to become a personal identifier used for everything from getting a job to buying auto insurance.

arstechnica.com...


So what are we going to have instead?

CHIP's?
Bar codes?
IP Addresses for people?

Once again, I think the gods that I am old because I'll probably be long dead before this crap comes about.

Or will the people embrace this "brave new world"?

I know that my being against any proposed change before I even see the options available can be considered as closed minded. But this crap scares me and I don't trust the government.

Now I'm sure all you pro government, national healthcare proponents might love and embrace this.

Or not.

It'll be interesting to read the posts.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
CHIP's?
Bar codes?
IP Addresses for people?

Yeah, thats more or less where my mind went, but I reckon it will be DNA based. Whats a few skin cells.

On the plus side, identity theft would be considerably more difficult to achieve

I don't think your SSN as an identifier was ever a good idea. I wouldn't have any ideas to add as a replacement , but the ones you listed scare the h3ll out of me!

The Social Security number was never supposed to be used for identification. Ever. There are so many names attached to social security numbers now it's not funny....yet the SSA doesn't care, because, in the end, it's all about the government collecting any and all taxes attached to that number. If your credit gets messed up, it's your problem...not theirs. I used to work with them. Trust me. They know how many names ride off one number, and they don't give a rat's behind.

I'm pretty sure they'll go to biometrics or RFID chips next. Because we are cattle in a pen, not free men and women. All cash cows need to have solid identification.

Ya know, an IP address based on an individuals DNA doesn't sound too unreasonable.

a reply to: Chickensalad
Soon, there will be DNA spoofing

The problem with DNA identification is that then, the government would have your DNA in a database.

And all the issues THAT would bring up.

originally posted by: SaturnFX

originally posted by: DBCowboy
CHIP's?
Bar codes?
IP Addresses for people?

I reckon it will be DNA based. Whats a few skin cells.

On the plus side, identity theft would be considerably more difficult to achieve

It's the only way to be sure.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
The problem with DNA identification is that then, the government would have your DNA in a database.

And all the issues THAT would bring up.

Meh, I've been arrested once and had to submit fingerprint and DNA swab and I'm not really too worried about. I mean, what are they honestly going to do with it? If anything it'll work in my favor them saving and storing it for me (assuming that I don't up and decide to be a criminal I reckon).

a reply to: Chickensalad

I keep having flashes of "Gattica" and eugenics when the government has a comprehensive DNA database.

It won't be used for good things, at least, that's my opinion of government.

Yours may differ.

originally posted by: SaturnFX

originally posted by: DBCowboy
CHIP's?
Bar codes?
IP Addresses for people?

Yeah, thats more or less where my mind went, but I reckon it will be DNA based. Whats a few skin cells.

On the plus side, identity theft would be considerably more difficult to achieve

It actually would be the worse possible outcome. Once your biometrics are reduced to digital form, it can be stolen. Once that happens, you have no means to change your biometrics, so you're screwed.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Already happening for Medicare. New cards contain a new number that is no longer your SSN with extra letters and numbers.

From the 2018 Medicare booklet.

You’re getting a new Medicare card!

Cards will be mailed between April 2018 – April 2019

You asked, and we listened. You’re getting a new Medicare card! Between April 2018 and April 2019, we’ll be removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and mailing each person a new card. This will help keep your information more secure and help protect your identity.

You’ll get a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, and it will only be used for your Medicare coverage. The new card won’t change your coverage or benefits. You’ll get more information from Medicare when your new card is mailed.

DNA based ID is frankly terrifying. If the government had a database of every person in the US, what's to stop them from marking those with certain genetic traits/disorders from being 'disappeared for the good of future mankind?' If it is as some studies have suggested that some criminal behaviors may have a basis in genetics, then there is nothing stopping them from finding those with certain genetic abnormalities and culling them.

www.utdallas.edu...

Keep in mind, our very own government had programs set up many years ago to stop those deemed unfit to have children from breeding.

I'm glad to see the SSN system, which is prone to abuse via identity theft, being taken apart, but the alternatives are scary in their own rights.

a reply to: DBCowboy

If it's IP addresses, I want mine to be 1.2.3.4

or 111.111.111.111

Something easy to remember.

aaa aa aaaa

Letter based instead of numbers in the same format gives a base 26 for each place holder instead of a base 10.

We probably ran out of the 999 million numbers long ago from generations of people no longer alive and illegals obtaining them.

This gives, 5,429,503,678,975, so five and a half trillion possibilities. Plenty of identities to reissue if yours gets stolen.

Or letters plus numbers for each place holder gives a base 36. That is 101,559,956,668,415 , plenty to go around without invoking the wrath of god.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

IPV6 Is the internet Protocol version 6.

With IPV6 you can have 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431, 768,211,456 numbers.

ie: 2017:1111:2222:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777

It's a 16-bit hexadecimal field

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: TinfoilTP

IPV6 Is the internet Protocol version 6.

With IPV6 you can have 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431, 768,211,456 numbers.

ie: 2017:1111:2222:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777

It's a 16-bit hexadecimal field

ya but people cannot remember that, especially seniors. Keep the same format, there are never going to be a hundred and a half trillion people scratching around on earth to use them up.

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: TinfoilTP

IPV6 Is the internet Protocol version 6.

With IPV6 you can have 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431, 768,211,456 numbers.

ie: 2017:1111:2222:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777

It's a 16-bit hexadecimal field

ya but people cannot remember that, especially seniors. Keep the same format, there are never going to be a hundred and a half trillion people scratching around on earth to use them up.

It's going to be the new IP Address configuration.

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: TinfoilTP

IPV6 Is the internet Protocol version 6.

With IPV6 you can have 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431, 768,211,456 numbers.

ie: 2017:1111:2222:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777

It's a 16-bit hexadecimal field

ya but people cannot remember that, especially seniors. Keep the same format, there are never going to be a hundred and a half trillion people scratching around on earth to use them up.

It's going to be the new IP Address configuration.

Which nobody ever needs to know or fill into a form. All they do is push a mouse button and they travel the magical internets carpet ride.

wouldn't a MAC address be more appropriate?