http://www.epic.org/privacy/ssn/alternatives_ssn.html

Each year, stolen or misappropriates Social Security numbers causes thousands of "theft

of-identity" or "credit theft" incident to take place. Over the telephone or in person, any

stranger can use someone’s SSN to retrieve their personal information. Many banks and

brokers uses SSN to get detailed tax information from the Internal Revenue Service.

But there are organizations that uses alternatives to SSN. MIB Inc., for example, stores

millions of computerized records of individuals with no numeric identifiers at all. An algorithm

is used to digitized a record. SOUNDEX, Alpha Search, or SearchSoftwareAmerica search

method is used to locate the record later on. The problem is, an error in any field of a record

will still produce an accourate match. Using SSNs will never produce a record twice. If

SSNs must be used, it can be encrypted to store records, without actually showing the real

numbers. Another method will do the same trick, is only to use the last four digits.

Since using of SSNs is not a reliable means for keeping personal identity, there are alternatives

that are being used widely, like signature comparison, passwords, PIN numbers, photographed

documents, fingerprint comparison, etc.

I think it good idea, but I never trust to use ATM machine when I had a short cash buy the stuff

in store I still don’t want to use ATM machine either because people can stole information from

me. SSNs protect still is not safety.

I agree with the article that the bank would be more to protect the customer information after

The customer had apply statement in the banks (e.g like apply finance for new car).

This article related to the course is computer SSNs protect information for people that had

shopped on internet.