WHY KEEP USING SSNs

[usmc_stud]

With all the talk about identity theft and all the problems with keeping personally identifiable information secure, why does the military continue to use our social security numbers for everything.

I can't count the number of times I have been asked for my SSN. At TBS, everyone with any collateral duty (which means everyone) had a roster with everyone's SSN. Every day I drive onto base I show some random civilian a card with my SSN on it. Every time I fill out an "official" document I write my full SSN on it. It is all over my medical records and passed around the Admin Office.

Why doesn't the military assign each member a "service number" with which they could positively identify us?

 

[a_m]

I thought was going to be about submarines.

 

[Flugelman]

Why doesn't the military assign each member a "service number" with which they could positively identify us?

The more things change....

They usta do that, went to SSN's in early 70's.IIRC.

 

[A4sForever]

With all the talk about identity theft ....why does the military continue to use our social security numbers for everything......Why doesn't the military assign each member a "service number" with which they could positively identify us?

Wife & I were discussing this very thing yesterday.

When we switched to SSN's I recall everyone thinking: "WOW ...this is great !!! Now we've got only one number to memorize ... "

And we used to have service #'s ... so it COULD be done again w/ minor inconvenience, especially since records and ID cards are now computerized.

 

[HokiePilot]

I always get a kick out of the GMT lessons that say to not carry your SSN around in your wallet. It seems to me that the military has given lip service but really hasn't done anything significant to address the problem.

I remember in primary, every grade sheet had both mine and my instructors SSNs on it. We were supposed to scribble them out, but you could always read it.

Colleges used to do the same thing, but have all cleaned up their act after a federal law.

 

[phrogdriver]

Wife & I were discussing this very thing yesterday.

When we switched to SSN's I recall everyone thinking: "WOW ...this is great !!! Now we've got only one number to memorize ... "

And we used to have service #'s ... so it COULD be done again w/ minor inconvenience, especially since records and ID cards are now computerized.

I bet the computer part is what would make it hard to switch. There's a lot of code built around your 9-digit SSN and a lot of interconnected databases.

We definitely need to stop using the SSNs as much. I believe there is also a rule saying that full SSNs shouldn't be used on documents without a valid reason.

 

[jcj]

USAF is looking for a way to replace SSN's with a service number. Don't know if it's a DOD-wide thing or just AF.

 

[m0tbaillie]

I bet the computer part is what would make it hard to switch. There's a lot of code built around your 9-digit SSN and a lot of interconnected databases.

We definitely need to stop using the SSNs as much. I believe there is also a rule saying that full SSNs shouldn't be used on documents without a valid reason.

Code that, if well-written, could be just as easily tweaked to utilize any unique identifier. Good code should be scalable, and stuff like that shouldn't be hard-written. As long as there's a unique searchable key for every entry I don't see how it would be hard to transition from SSNs to something else.

 

[D_Rob]

Code that, if well-written, could be just as easily tweaked to utilize any unique identifier. Good code should be scalable, and stuff like that shouldn't be hard-written. As long as there's a unique searchable key for every entry I don't see how it would be hard to transition from SSNs to something else.

So if you got into the DOD code how long would it take you to fix it? 2 hours, maybe 3?

 

[squorch2]

My school went from SSNs as unique identifiers to gtID in 2003. You basically need new 9-digit IDs that don't overlap with existing SSNs - that's FAR easier to design and implement than redoing all of the information systems that exist in the DoD. Oh yeah, and you need to go through a bidding process and someone actually has to request bids for the project?

Long story short, there are a lot of ifs, buts, what-have-yous to transition from SSNs as unique identifiers.

 

[Flash]

I believe there is a DoD-wide effort to move away from SSN's, but with a big organization like that it takes a while.

Here is an example:

Department to Phase Out Full Social Security Numbers on IDs

 

[nittany03]

So if you got into the DOD code how long would it take you to fix it? 2 hours, maybe 3?

Alright, smartass. I know m0tballie has been annoying in the past, but he's at least theoretically correct here. But that runs on the assumption that DoD hired competent programmers, and given how "lowest bidder syndrome" works in all other aspects of Government procurement, I'm surprised if all of DoD IT doesn't depend, somewhere, on a little hamster running madly away inside his wheel . . . :icon_tong

 

[CommodoreMid]

I always get a kick out of the GMT lessons that say to not carry your SSN around in your wallet. It seems to me that the military has given lip service but really hasn't done anything significant to address the problem.

I remember in primary, every grade sheet had both mine and my instructors SSNs on it. We were supposed to scribble them out, but you could always read it.

Colleges used to do the same thing, but have all cleaned up their act after a federal law.

Not all colleges I guess. At Vandy we still used it for everything. I've even had friends say if they forgot their student IDs (which didn't have the SSN but still had the student data) at our main dining center and wanted to use their meal plan they were able just to give their SSNs to the cashier and they were good to go. Same thing in our library if you wanted to use the printers, which we were charged per page, I remember having to enter my SSN the first time I did so to set up some kind of account. It was ridiculous.

 

[m0tbaillie]

So if you got into the DOD code how long would it take you to fix it? 2 hours, maybe 3?

lol....two months, maybe three. There are probably dozens of complex systems that hinge on using SSNs at the moment. I'm not saying it would be a trivial task by any means given the number and complexity of systems that would need to be transitioned over, I'm just saying from a programming standpoint, a well-written system would be "relatively" easy to update/migrate, albeit slightly tedious.

You also have to take into account that some code is just bad code. Sure the system works, but is the code commented and well-documented or does it just *barely* work. With the very limited interaction/experience I've had on DOD websites/interfaces (NKO and DFAS), I'd guess it's probably the latter.

 

[Fog]

Bet I'm the only guy here who is old to have & remember his old Navy Officer File Number (699-985). That was before we started using SSN's as military ID no.'s.