PHOTO: HYUNGWON KANG/REUTERS
Whitehouse cybersecurity coordinator Rob Joyce says cryptographic keys may replace current Social Security numbers. Mr. Joyce suggests the merit of such a system is they can be revoked if they are found to be compromised.
“I feel very strongly that the Social Security number has outlived its usefulness,”
“It’s a flawed system. If you think about it, every time we use the Social Security number, we put it at risk.”
“We’ve got a modern digital age. We’ve got to find a way to use that modern cryptographic identifier to help us drive down that risk,”
Rob Joyce - Whitehouse cybersecurity coordinator
This discussion was a direct result of the recent Equifax data breach where 145.5 million American's had their personal data exposed. Social Security numbers and date of birth were included in the breach and cannot be changed to prevent abuse.
Lawmakers are demanding new regulations for the credit-rating industry and allowing individuals to opt-in or out of use of their private information.