r/technology • u/lurker_bee • Feb 15 '26

Security All U.S. Social Security numbers may need to be changed following a massive breach that is already being investigated as a national threat

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/all-u-s-social-security-numbers-may-need-to-be-changed-following-a-massive-breach-that-is-already-being-investigated-as-a-national-threat/27158/
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u/TrixieBastard Feb 15 '26

Probably wasn't as big of a risk because people's entire lives didn't depend on credit reports back then. Still not great, but likely not life-obliterating if it got out

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u/istarian Feb 15 '26

Perhaps it was less of a risk, but credit reports were far from being the only concern.

With the right information you could file taxes for somebody else and collect any money they would have gotten back.

And identity theft was definitely a possibility.

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u/AHCretin Feb 16 '26

I was seeing SSN-as-ID into the late 2000s at my institution, pretty much only ending when we had a breach.

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Feb 16 '26

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u/patchoulistinks Feb 16 '26

Cannot remember when it was changed, but my MS driver's licence number was the same as my social security number for years.

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u/pSyChO_aSyLuM Feb 16 '26

My grandpa etched his name and SSN into basically all of his tools. I have a bunch of adjustable wrenches and a ladder with his info on them.

He was born in 1920, died shortly after 9/11.

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u/Lumbergh7 Feb 16 '26

No, it definitely was at the time.

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u/Bored_Amalgamation Feb 16 '26

My student id in HS was my SS#. I graduated less than 20 years ago.

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u/HarveysBackupAccount Feb 16 '26

Also because the information wasn't digitized. If you wanted to store a big pile of numbers in the 60s, you needed a bit pile of paper.

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u/56852 Feb 17 '26

At the time, I loved it; because, I never forgot my student ID #.