Pentagon to phase out SSNs on ID cards

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon to phase out SSNs on ID cards
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 4, 2008 7:20:11 EDT

Social Security numbers will disappear from the ID cards of military family members by the end of the year, temporarily replaced by the Social Security number of the military sponsor in a half-step toward better identity-theft protection, defense officials said Thursday.

In 2009, the Defense Department will take the next step of phasing out full Social Security numbers on all ID cards for service members and civilians, replaced by just the last four digits. Using those digits, combined with other identifying information, is a common practice in the private sector.

New cards will be issued as old cards expire, defense officials said.

Officials described the ID card changes as part of a phased approach to improving identity protection for service members, civilian employees and their families. The first step was to improve security over military databases. A second step was to remove Social Security numbers from Tricare health system ID cards, defense officials said.

Getting Social Security numbers off the ID cards of family members is considered a high priority because they make up about 2.2 million of the 3.4 million people who have military-issued common access cards.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_id_cards_040308w/

[doc03]

1. When I was in the Army back 1968 they swiched from

the military serial number to the SSAN. We had our SSAN stenciled in plain sight on our duffel bags. Can you imagine that today with all the identity thefts.

[unhappycamper]

2. I remember that. n/t