By Carl Surran
Phaseout Coming Of Full SSNs On ID Cards
Fall 2008
Citing the need to protect personal information, DoD says it will issue identification cards without full Social Security numbers printed on them. The move is billed as a means of combating identity theft, where a criminal can use another person’s SSN to virtually assume his or her identity through a few computer keystrokes.
Plans are to remove the Social Security numbers from ID cards issued to military family members by the end of this year, although the cards would continue to display the sponsor’s number for an interim period. Between 2009 and 2010, all DoD-issued ID cards will feature only the last four digits of a holder’s SSN. New cards will be issued as they reach their expiration dates.
Tricare already has removed Social Security numbers from its members’ identification cards.
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