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Social Security Numbers and User Authentication 

Our campus Computing Services Department is currently working on the user
authentication process that will validate our users for remote access to
IAC's SearchBank. They've proposed that people's social security numbers
be used as their login ID to the College's online authentication process,
i.e. a user will key in his/her SSN, a computer on campus will check it to
verify that s/he is currently enrolled or employed here, and s/he'll be
cleared for access to whatever we want them to have access to. 

At a recent workshop, three librarians mentioned that they thought it was
*illegal* to use the social security number for user authentication. (Not
to mention that few people will want to anyway.)  Does anyone know
anything about the legality of using SSNs for authentication? (Haven't
found anything in the archives of this list.) 

Thanks for any info you can provide!

..................................................................
Kathy McGreevy                     kathy@floyd.santarosa.edu
Ref. Librarian, Electronic         kathy@sonic.net
  Network Services                 http://www.santarosa.edu/~kathy

Santa Rosa Junior College          voice: 1-707-527-4547
Santa Rosa, CA 95401               fax:   1-707-527-4545
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