this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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All U.S. Social Security numbers may need to be changed following a massive breach that is already being investigated as a national threat (www.ecoticias.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Cnote5@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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According to a protected disclosure filed with the Office of Special Counsel, Borges told the Government Accountability Project that DOGE officials working at Social Security created a “live copy” of the country’s Social Security records in a separate cloud environment that sidestepped usual security checks.

The group says those lapses put the Social Security information of more than 300 million Americans at risk.

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[–] dgriffith@aussie.zone 54 points 1 day ago (3 children)

because it is far from a secure number.

It is only the American obsession with using it as a unique identifier for everything in their lives that has caused this issue.

[–] SketchySeaBeast@lemmy.ca 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The problem is they are using Identification for authentication.

[–] Eheran@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It is not even identification, it is literally just a number that anyone can use.

[–] Broken@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 hours ago

The original idea is exactly for identification (just not secure ones). Think of it like writing your name on the inside of your jacket or have a name tag on your luggage.

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 19 points 1 day ago

That's true of all names. Names are still a form of identification. But it doesn't authenticate that you are a specific person.

[–] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago

You say that like we had any part in every single service asking for our SSN lmfao

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

It would be less expensive to simply trust everyone. Administering a numbering system and trying to prevent fraud costs more than the actual fraud it prevents, and does nothing to prevent the larger frauds.

It's like having a chain on the pen at the bank, with a security guard watching the chain, and three managers making aure the secuirty guard is watching the chain all day, but the cash drawers are open and the three managers simply help themselves to as much cash as they like.