4 ms·

The website actually asks for SSN to identify teachers? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28866805 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28866805 https://ne

The website actually asks for SSN to identify teachers? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28866805 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28866805 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28867562 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28867562

pacbard 5y ago
Most states allow you to lookup teacher licenses using last name and they have a “secure” version of the same site for employers and employees to update data. Most of the secure sites use a combination of last names, dob, and/or SSNs to authenticate teachers.
- threatofrain 5y ago
  But isn't this a front-facing site?
  - pacbard 5y ago
    I don't get what you mean by front-facing website. Do you mean accessible by the public? Isn't that the point of websites that allows the public to look up professional licenses? I would imagine that there are similar websites for all other licensed professionals. BTW, California has a similar website that allows employers to put in SSN and DOB to lookup a teacher's license: https://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/lookup https://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/lookup It seems that Missouri had a similar setup that required a teacher's last name and the last 4 SSN digits.
    - threatofrain 5y ago
      When you say secured version of a site, I had assumed that you were talking about something that's meant for administrative employees and only internally visible, not something that is open to any visitor. I can't imagine the workflow in allowing a random user to make these queries.
ManBlanket 5y ago
If only there were legislation in place to subject those breaching this misinformation to legal recourse, so the current administration can enforce which problems exist in the public's eyes. Some real legal tools the government can use to enforce truths from falsehoods, wired right into the platforms that disseminate this kind misinformation. After all, elected representatives are known for their intellectual honesty and predictably virtuous behavior.
- CamperBob2 5y ago
  If only there were legislation in place to subject those breaching this misinformation to legal recourse The SSN wasn't supposed to be used for identification at all, at first. [1] But the government decided that didn't apply to them, and then they decided that it didn't apply to anyone else. 1: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/weekinreview/the-nation-not-for-identification-purposes-just-kidding.html https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/weekinreview/the-nation-n...
pugworthy 5y ago
To be clear, it asks for last 4. This is not uncommon, with some sites asking for last name, birthday and last 4 of social to identify someone.
- progbits 5y ago
  But if everyone asks for last four then it also means everyone has it. You are one shitty site leak away from having all the info needed to identify you available publicly.

pacbard 5y ago

Most states allow you to lookup teacher licenses using last name and they have a “secure” version of the same site for employers and employees to update data. Most of the secure sites use a combination of last names, dob, and/or SSNs to authenticate teachers.

threatofrain 5y ago
But isn't this a front-facing site?
- pacbard 5y ago
  I don't get what you mean by front-facing website. Do you mean accessible by the public? Isn't that the point of websites that allows the public to look up professional licenses? I would imagine that there are similar websites for all other licensed professionals. BTW, California has a similar website that allows employers to put in SSN and DOB to lookup a teacher's license: https://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/lookup https://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/lookup It seems that Missouri had a similar setup that required a teacher's last name and the last 4 SSN digits.
  - threatofrain 5y ago
    When you say secured version of a site, I had assumed that you were talking about something that's meant for administrative employees and only internally visible, not something that is open to any visitor. I can't imagine the workflow in allowing a random user to make these queries.

ManBlanket 5y ago

If only there were legislation in place to subject those breaching this misinformation to legal recourse, so the current administration can enforce which problems exist in the public's eyes. Some real legal tools the government can use to enforce truths from falsehoods, wired right into the platforms that disseminate this kind misinformation. After all, elected representatives are known for their intellectual honesty and predictably virtuous behavior.

CamperBob2 5y ago
If only there were legislation in place to subject those breaching this misinformation to legal recourse The SSN wasn't supposed to be used for identification at all, at first. [1] But the government decided that didn't apply to them, and then they decided that it didn't apply to anyone else. 1: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/weekinreview/the-nation-not-for-identification-purposes-just-kidding.html https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/weekinreview/the-nation-n...

pugworthy 5y ago

To be clear, it asks for last 4. This is not uncommon, with some sites asking for last name, birthday and last 4 of social to identify someone.

progbits 5y ago
But if everyone asks for last four then it also means everyone has it. You are one shitty site leak away from having all the info needed to identify you available publicly.