Moreover, some records that contain SSNs are considered part of the public record and, as such, are routinely made available to the public for review. Use of SSN Has Grown, in Part, Because of Federal Requirements

SSA is the federal agency responsible for issuing SSNs, which are used to track workers’ earnings and eligibility for Social Security benefits. In 1936, SSA created a numbering system designed to provide a unique identifier, the SSN, to each individual. Governments Are Taking Some Steps to Safeguard SSNs but Important Measures Not Universally Employed

When agencies that deliver services and benefits use SSNs to administer programs, they are taking some steps to safeguard SSNs, but certain measures that could provide more assurances that these SSNs are secure are not universally in place at any level of government. Further, they store and use SSNs in varied formats. Almost all states have modified their policies on placing SSNs on state drivers’ licenses. In addition, some program agencies also reported maintaining public records that contain SSNs. However, efforts to protect individuals’ privacy can be more far-reaching when the initiatives are statewide. Neither state tracked costs for making changes to better protect personal information, such as SSNs. Matter For Congressional Consideration

To address SSN security and display issues in state and local government and in public records, including those maintained by the judicial branch of government at all levels, the Congress may wish to convene, in consultation with the president, a representative group of federal, state and local officials including, for example, state attorneys general, county recorders, and state and local chief information officers, selected members of the Congress, and state or local elected officials, to develop a unified approach to safeguarding SSNs used in all levels of government and particularly those displayed in public records. Finally, we surveyed each county’s personnel office.
What GAO Found

The Social Security number (SSN) was created in 1936 to track workers' earnings and eligibility for Social Security benefits. Because SSNs are unique identifiers and do not change, the numbers provide a convenient and efficient way to manage records. Government agencies are taking some steps to safeguard the number, but some protections are not uniformly in place at any level of government. Many of the state and county agencies responding to GAO's survey maintain records that contain SSNs; federal agencies maintain public records less frequently. At the state and county levels, some offices, such as state professional licensing agencies and county recorders' offices, have traditionally been repositories for public records that may contain SSNs. Some government agencies are trying to better safeguard the SSN by trying innovative approaches to protect them from public display. For example, some agencies and courts are modifying their processes or their forms so that they can collect SSNs but prevent the number from becoming part of the publicly available record. The most far-reaching efforts took place in states with a statewide initiative that established a policy and procedures designed to protect individuals' personal information, including SSNs, in all circumstances where they collect, store, and use it.