The vanishing Social Security Number

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Mark my words: Eventually our Social Security numbers will be so abused by careless companies and thieves they'll be rendered useless as a personal identifier. Instead, at the moment, I predict a biometric (fingerprint, iris, facial scan) will become the most common way to authenticate us. The infrastructure still isn't there yet, and the technology itself needs work, but we'll move away from using anything a machine issues to that which only parents can provide. Facial recognition stands the least chance, given the booming plastic surgery industry. My bet's on fingerprint.

This morning's Washington Post has an interesting article on the vulnerability of Social Security numbers. An accompanying story provides tips on how to protect those digits, but unless you've lived in isolation most of your life, the train has left the station. Get ready for a crash.

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