Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger
A patient in Washington has asked the state of the medical clinic for his social security number many times. Many of us have experienced this familiar process. Given the recent buzz about identity theft, this patient became concerned about the release of his own sensitive personal data, and requested that the installation remove his Social Security number for their records. The clinic refused, the patient developed a stench, and was eventually ejected from the facility. The clinic reviewed its unreasonable demand, and a violation of their rules and regulations. So who is right and who is wrong in this scenario?
Saturday afternoon, there are years, my partner and I went to a big chain that rents videos. Without naming them, let's just say they rent of block buster movies. The account was in the name of my wife, but she has no card with her that day. Upon departure, the pimply faced 17 year old clerk said, "No problem," and asked for his social security number, which appeared on the screen in front of him. I panicked and was ejected from the shop. So who is right and who is wrong? 
In both cases, the customer is wrong. This may not be the answer you were expecting. I was wrong and the wrong patient.
In general, routine information is collected for all patients of the hospital, including the patient's name, address, date of birth, social security number, gender and other information specific allowing them to verify the identity of the individual, as well as the registration of insurance and data coverage. And because of the laws prescribed by the federal government as HIPAA, they take care to maintain the confidentiality of all patient information into their systems.
Companies such as banks, credit card companies, car dealers, retailers and even video rental stores that provide credit in any form will ask your name, address, date of birth, social security number and other specific information that helps verify your identity and make a quick credit check to determine their risk level by giving you credit.
The Social Security Administration said, "Show your card to your employer when you start a job so your records are correct. Enter your Social Security number to your financial institution (s) for tax reporting purposes. Keep your card and any other document that shows your Social Security number on it in a safe place. DO NOT routinely carry your card or other documents that display your number. "But beyond that, they have no advice and frankly, no authority.
Over the last fifty years, the Social Security number has become our de facto national identity. While originally developed and required for social security benefits, "feature creep" was held. feature creep occurs when an item, process or procedure designed for a specific purpose eventually serve another purpose, it was never intended to perform.
Here we are decades later, and the social security number is the key to the kingdom. Anyone who accesses your number can impersonate you in a hospital or a bank. So what do you do when asked for your social security number? Many people refuse to give and discover quickly that it creates a number of obstacles they must overcome to obtain services. Most are often denied this service, and as I understand it, there is nothing illegal about any service entity refusal. Most organizations provide access to these data in their "Terms of Service" you must login to do business with them. They acquire this data to protect. By making a concerted effort to verify the identity of their customers, they establish a degree of responsibility. Otherwise, someone could pose as someone else without consequence.
So where do we stand? I have already discussed "Identity Proofing" and how flawed our identification systems, and how we might be able to tighten the system. But we have a long way to go before we're all safely and efficiently identified. So in the meantime, we must play with the cards we deal in order to participate in society and participate in the various services it offers. So for now, you have to continue to give your social security number.
I give my own often. I do not like it, but I do things to protect me, or at least reduce my vulnerability:
- You can refuse to give. This can lead to a denial of service or application that you, the customer, jump through a series of hoops inconvenient to be granted services. Given these two options, most people throw their hands up and give their social security number.
- You can invest in identity theft protection. There are dozens of companies offering a variety of services to protect you in different ways. These services can monitor credit reports, set alerts for fraud or credit blockages, restore damaged credit, and sweeping the net in search of stolen data.
- You can try to protect your own identity, getting you a credit freeze, or setting up your own fraud alerts. You can use Google News Alerts to sweep the net and take precautions to avoid identity theft social media.
- Protect your PC. No matter what others do with your Social Security number, you still have to protect the data that you have immediate control. Make sure you invest in an Internet security software.
Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discusses the ubiquitous use of social security numbers.
What have you done in the past when asked for your SSN? Did you refuse? What happened?
Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an expert on identity theft, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 and start-up companies as a consultant on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. the thoughts and advice of Siciliano on all these issues often appear in both television and print media news, including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of safety training as a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on high alert; How to take control of your personal safety and to prevent fraud . He also established a partnership with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness of the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips on how you can protect yourself.