We live in an era where high-tech crime is as commonplace as failing city governments, over-crowded classrooms in our public schools and juvenile social behavior that would have earned our parents a trip to the woodshed. These trends mark an unrelenting assault on the very fabric of the American lifestyle, but alarmingly are not as diabolical as an emerging threat that continues to grow every minute of every day.  I am referring to Identity Theft, a vicious crime that can deeply scar you and your family for years to come.

Security and database breaches are on the rise. From healthcare to game companies to trusted third-party security firms, a number of significant breaches were reported in 2011. This year alone millions of records were compromised at the hands of: Comodo, RSA, Epsilon, WordPress, Sony, Citibank, CyWorld, Tricare, Facebook, Steam; even the US Government Office of Personnel Management lost accountability of records containing the most personal information on US citizens. Unless you remain vigilant you may not even be aware that your personal information has been compromised.

Whether it happens at the hands of gross negligence, incompetence or some tragic accident, it’s important to remember that much of the security and database breaches involved minor children. Names, dates of birth, sex and social security account numbers of children were also included in some of the records that were lost. Sadly, child identify theft is more than a hypothetical crime. It is a very real crime with very real and long lasting negative effects. Without taking some simple precautionary measures the same can happen to your children.

The Most Important Piece of Information Needed to Steal Someone’s Identity

One of the most important pieces of information a thief needs to steal someone’s identify and send a life into a tailspin is a Social Security Account Number. A child’s SSN is a thief’s Coup-d’état, because misuse has an increased probability of going undetected for years.  The underlying reason why social security account numbers have become so valuable for stealing one’s identity—aside from the convenience—is that the database is astronomical in scope and is individually unique.  Armed with this personalized number, a thief can reap rewards and ruin the credit histories of unsuspecting victims in a seedy con-game that knows no boundaries.

Unfortunately, thieves don’t have to look very far for a new SSN. Virtually all local, state and federal agencies use it as a means of identification, as do all three major credit reporting agencies, and given the culpability that these agencies bare for known breaches, the magnitude of the threat are quite clear.  The broad-ranging scope of these bureaucracies is massive and for this single reason you must be on constant guard to protect your family’s SSNs from compromise.

Protect Your Children

In your role as a parent you are duty-bound to carefully read over forms that you prepare on behalf of your child. Make a well informed decision on whether or not the information requested is mandatory for the services you seek, or required when granting parental consent.  One strategy that often goes unchallenged is leaving the space blank.  If that doesn’t work, ask why the information is needed and how it is used, and equally important ask how it is protected. Don’t accept the first response as absolute. Continue with probing questions to the point that you exhaust all doubt before releasing your child’s personal data. Protect your child’s social security account number with the same ferocity that a momma grizzly protects her cubs from circling wolves. Continue reading →