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I used to "half-joke" about wanting everyone's SSN published in one big fat breach. I don't joke about it now. I really do want every single SSN to be published

I used to "half-joke" about wanting everyone's SSN published in one big fat breach. I don't joke about it now. I really do want every single SSN to be published somewhere with the associated identities. It seems like nothing short of that will convince banks and other sensitive institutions to give up on using it as a secret. Then, once the SSN can't be plausibly relied upon to authenticate people, these industries will have to do the hard work themselves.

toast0 3y ago
> I used to "half-joke" about wanting everyone's SSN published in one big fat breach. I don't joke about it now The 2017 Equifax breach was 40+% of americans. As far as I can tell, it barely changed anything about using SSNs as username and password for identity and credit. It maybe helped end user fees for credit freezes. Based on the response to that breach, I don't think a full dump would change anything either. I don't know what it was like before this breach, but identity fraud doesn't seem to get any investigation these days --- a year or so, someone rented an Oakland luxury apartment and tried to open two credit cards in my spouse's name and social security number, and Oakland PD didn't follow up at all.
- function_seven 3y ago
  Yeah, but even that breach isn't a public thing. The contents of it, I mean. Like, I can't go to a site somewhere and just look up people's names and find out their socials. That's what I'm hoping for. A full database dump of everybody's SSN that's made embarrassingly public, so people can see just how useless SSNs are. I could enter "Marvin Garrison, DOB 1974-04-20" and get Marvin's SSN. A torrent file, made available for even a short period of time, would be preserved forever and put the final nail in the coffin. I know this sounds like some nerd version of Fight Club, but I stand by it :)
  - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
    But wouldn't that require a lot more personal information to be in the leak than just Name/SSN? At least DOB, and sometimes more would be required. Therefore that would be a huge and damaging leak that would encompass more than just SSNs. Be careful what you wish for.
    - function_seven 3y ago
      Yeah, let's keep it to stuff that's already widely known. First, Last, DOB. That's it. Sure, there will be duplicates. John Miller, born on 10/10/1963 will happen a dozen times maybe. Will still be effective in destroying the SSN as a magic key.

toast0 3y ago

> I used to "half-joke" about wanting everyone's SSN published in one big fat breach. I don't joke about it now The 2017 Equifax breach was 40+% of americans. As far as I can tell, it barely changed anything about using SSNs as username and password for identity and credit. It maybe helped end user fees for credit freezes. Based on the response to that breach, I don't think a full dump would change anything either. I don't know what it was like before this breach, but identity fraud doesn't seem to get any investigation these days --- a year or so, someone rented an Oakland luxury apartment and tried to open two credit cards in my spouse's name and social security number, and Oakland PD didn't follow up at all.

function_seven 3y ago
Yeah, but even that breach isn't a public thing. The contents of it, I mean. Like, I can't go to a site somewhere and just look up people's names and find out their socials. That's what I'm hoping for. A full database dump of everybody's SSN that's made embarrassingly public, so people can see just how useless SSNs are. I could enter "Marvin Garrison, DOB 1974-04-20" and get Marvin's SSN. A torrent file, made available for even a short period of time, would be preserved forever and put the final nail in the coffin. I know this sounds like some nerd version of Fight Club, but I stand by it :)
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  But wouldn't that require a lot more personal information to be in the leak than just Name/SSN? At least DOB, and sometimes more would be required. Therefore that would be a huge and damaging leak that would encompass more than just SSNs. Be careful what you wish for.
  - function_seven 3y ago
    Yeah, let's keep it to stuff that's already widely known. First, Last, DOB. That's it. Sure, there will be duplicates. John Miller, born on 10/10/1963 will happen a dozen times maybe. Will still be effective in destroying the SSN as a magic key.