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Protecting Social Security Numbers

Be sure to protect your Social Security Card by keeping it at home in a safe location. Any documents containing your number should be stored carefully or shredded. However, no matter how careful you are with your documents, people will still occasionally ask you for it outright. If that happens, follow this sequence to protect it:

1) Ask why they need it

Don't just give it to anyone who asks. It's amazing the places that ask for it that have no use for it at all. I've even been asked for my SSN at a video rental store!

A SSN is used for social security and now, for credit reports. Some non-retailers will still ask to run credit like utility companies because they are essentially entering a credit relationship with you, but for any business that has no legitimate need of your SSN, be as firm as possible about not providing it.

Also, when applying for a job, if they ask for the SSN (which they need to pay you), tell them that you'll provide it AFTER you're hired. In some cases, a credit check is a legitimate part of the hiring process (depending on the job you apply for) in which case you will have to provide it.

2) Ask what happens if you don't provide it

If withholding your number results in not getting service, that's probably fine for some places and not for others. For example, you might need a cell phone for your job and since every cell company asks for a social, you may not have any choice. Move to step 3.

Most places ask for it only as a lazy way of identifying you internally

3) Ask to use an alternate ID

Most places that ask for a SSN do so only for laziness because they want some kind of identifier to distinguish you from other customers. Ask them to use an alternate ID.

4) Hold, freeze, or zero

After getting that far and if the first three options haven't helped you, you'll need to make the decision to withhold the number (despite the consequences) or to protect your SSN another way. Withholding it is pretty straightforward.

The second option is to go ahead and provide it knowing that a credit freeze will protect your credit report. It's still better not to let your SSN be spread around any further than it has to so consider the next option instead.

In cases where legal and ethical to do so, you can try this trick: substitute the middle numbers of your actual social security number with 00. No legitmate SSN has any of the three fields all 0's so this is guaranteed not to belong to someone else. In case you ever have to remember the fake you used before, it's easy because it's simply your SSN with the middle two numbers removed.

Speaking of fake information, check out my guide for building a privacy alias
data defense Tutorial
prev: Protecting Credit Cards|INDEX|next: Being a Data Scrooge
It's impossible to fully prevent credit card fraud, but there are several things you can do to help.
Social security numbers have become the gateway to all kinds of identity abuses so the less people you give it to, the better.
Your data is as valuable as money so protect it like money!
What do you do once your data is already out there? This.

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Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

computer security Tutorial
|INDEX|next: Spyware Scanners

Security Software

Make sure you have a up-to-date Anti-Virus Program to protect you against bad websites or files.
Sometimes spyware gets in your computer and the anti-virus won't stop it. Use a spyware scanner to find and remove spyware and adware.
Use a software firewall to detect bad code on your computer when it tries to connect to the Internet.
Always keep your system up to date with security patches or none of the rest of your security software will matter.
Use an encryption tool to protect your important data when storing or transmitting it.
Switch to Firefox for your web browsing and you'll be better protected from Internet threats.

Safe Computing Practices

Don't get tricked by fake alerts or clever webpages into downloading viruses or spyware!

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

Credit Freeze

Setting a credit report freeze is the fastest and most effective way to actually block and reduce your risk of ID Theft. And it's free.

[Click for full description]

Protecting Credit Cards

Credit card fraud isn't ID Theft, but is closely relatedare often used fraudulently so do what you can to prevent it.

[Click for full description]

Protecting Social Security Numbers

Social security numbers have become the gateway to all kinds of identity abuses so the less people you give it to, the better.

[Click for full description]

Being a Data Scrooge

Learn to protect your personal information the way Scrooge did his money.

[Click for full description]

Reputation Management

Just because there are things out there about you that are out of your control and are unflattering or worse, doesn't mean you're powerless.

[Click for full description]

Anti-Virus

A virus can come from files, e-mails, web pages, or even devices you plug in (like thumbdrives or printers) and destroy your files or your computer once they get in. An anti-virus is software designed to detect and prevent that from happening.

[Click for full description]

Spyware Scanners

Learn how to detect and remove spyware and adware using a free scanning tool.

[Click for full description]

Software Firewall

Learn what a firewall is and why you want one on your computer.

[Click for full description]

Operating System Updates

Make sure to keep your operating system up-to-date with security patches or else none of the rest of your security software will be able to protect you.

[Click for full description]

File Encryption

Learn how to protect your important files on your computer or when transmitting them with free tools for file encryption.

[Click for full description]

Mozilla Firefox - Internet Browser

There are many browser choices out there. Read why I think Firefox is one of the best.

[Click for full description]

Fake Alerts

Maybe you've done everything right and you're computer is sufficiently fortress-like, but then you or someone in your family falls for a simple scam that tricks them into directly installing the bad guy's virus! Learn how to spot and ignore fakes!

[Click for full description]