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In a study released this week by Carnegie Mellon University, researchers found that it is quite easy to predict Social Security numbers, and feel that, with the increasing threat of identity theft, the numbers should no longer be used as a form of personal identification.

Researchers Alessandro Acquisti and Ralph Gross were able to predict most, and sometimes all, of an individual’s nine-digit number using public information and the numbering sequence outlined on the Social Security Administration’s website (e.g. numbers are generated based on an individual’s state and date of birth).

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that not only should social security numbers be randomly assigned, but also “Industry and policy makers may need, instead to finally reassess our perilous reliance on [Social Security numbers] for authentication, and on consumers’ impossible duty to protect them.”

Given that the results are not surprising, it seems to me that a study like this was a long time in coming – especially after September 11th, when it was determined that many of the hijackers obtained their false identification credentials using the all too accessible Social Security Administration’s Death Master File.

The U.S. could stand to take a page from Canada’s book regarding this matter. The Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) was created in 1964 to serve as a client account number in the administration of the Canada Pension Plan and Canada’s employment insurance programs, as well as for tax reporting purposes. Over time, the SIN has become a de facto national identification number, much in the same way as the Social Security number in the U.S. However, unlike the U.S., in Canada there are specific legislated purposes for which a SIN can be requested. Unless an organization can demonstrate that the reason they are asking for a person's SIN is specifically allowed by law, or that no alternative identifiers would suffice to complete the transaction, they cannot deny or refuse a product or service on the grounds of a refusal to provide a SIN. Giving a SIN when applying for consumer credit, such as buying a car or electronics, or allowing it to be used as a general purpose identification number, such as by your cable company, is a bad idea.

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