Survey to gauge SSN usage

8 a.m., Sept. 20, 2004--With criminal identity theft a booming problem both in the United States and abroad, the University of Delaware Office of Information Technologies is launching a campaign designed to help members of the campus community protect sensitive identifying and financial information such as Social Security and credit card numbers.

See related links:

Survey
www.udel.edu/ssn

Secure use of Social Security Numbers
www.udel.edu/it-us/ssn

Identity theft
www.udel.edu/security/ssnidentitytheft.html

UD computer security
www.udel.edu/security/

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identify theft crimes increased nearly 40 percent in 2003.

“The Social Security Number is the Holy Grail of identity theft,” Karl Hassler, associate director for Information Technologies-Network and Systems Services, said. “Criminals around the world are trying to steal Americans’ identities, and college students are heavily targeted because they are very vulnerable.”

Because the Social Security Number is a key piece of information in identify theft, it is in the interest of the entire UD community to eliminate it as an identifier and from collection and storage, except as required by law, Hassler said.

Early in March, UD began moving to a new authentication process for secure Web services. However, Hassler said there are other uses and means of storage of Social Security Numbers by faculty and staff in offices and departments across campus that must follow suit.

Hassler said Information Technologies is working to ensure that UD is doing its best to reduce the likelihood of being a source of identity theft, and to make sure the institution is in compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other laws that govern the collection, storage and availability of personal information.

As part of that effort, Information Technologies has prepared a short online survey to gather information about where, how and for what purposes UD departments are collecting, storing and using Social Security Numbers.

The survey can be found at [http://www.udel.edu/ssn], and Hassler said Information Technologies hopes to hear from various units and departments by Oct. 4.

An e-mail notice about the survey is being sent Monday, Sept. 20, to Human Resources liaisons and administrative and academic directors. Because Information Technologies is seeking as complete a picture as possible, any authorized University of Delaware network user can fill out the survey.

Once Information Technologies has gathered the necessary information, it will begin assisting individual units and departments that use Social Security Numbers to move to a different system of identification and authentication, where possible, Hassler said.

“We hope to eliminate nonlegally required uses of Social Security Numbers and in the process raise awareness of this important issue and to educate the campus community about the risks and about the alternatives,” Hassler said.

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