The social security numbers of residents in Ohio, New York, Florida and at least seven other states were found on the state government's website, and can be accessed by anyone online.
It's not unusual for state government and other websites to have such data located on their servers, but are required by the Privacy Act to protect the data.
Most of the social security numbers appear on a lien form used from July 2001 to May 2002. As many as 150,000 of those forms are processed each year.
Similar data can be obtained through the websites of other states by viewing publicly available business filings, making it easier for criminals to commit identity theft.
Most security breaches were the result of mishaps by high-profile companies. In 2005, an estimated 55 million personal identifying numbers may have been compromised in more than 130 reported cases.
One contributor to the problem is the use of Social Security Numbers as the login username to access accounts.
Only 20 to 25 percent of companies now use Social Security Numbers as the login username, compared with 60 percent in 2000.
It is always recommended to consumers to not use their Social Security Number, or other vital personal data such as their date of birth, as a login username or password when creating an online account at any company or entity.
Learn how to report credit fraud and prevent identity theft by reading articles at Credit Federal.
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