Many entities use your Social Security Number to identify you. Are they doing everything they can to protect that information?
Robert Siciliano, on behalf of McAfee, analyzed data breaches published by the Identity Theft Resource Center, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and the Open Security Foundation that involved Social Security number breaches from January 2009 - October 2010 to reveal the riskiest places to lose your ID.
The top 10 most dangerous places to give out your Social Security number are:
#1 - Universities/Colleges (108)
#2 - Banking/Financial Institutions (96)
#3 - Hospitals (71)
#4 - State Governments (57)
#5 - Local Governments (44)
#6 - Federal Governments (33)
#7 - Medical Businesses (27) (Please note: These are businesses that concentrate on services and products for the medical field such as distributers of diabetes or dialysis supplies, medical billing services, pharmaceutical companies, etc.)
#8 - Non-Profit Organizations (23)
#9 - Technology Companies (22)
#10 (tied) - Medical Insurance and Medical Offices/Clinics (21)
Read the full article for tips on when and when not to provide your Social Security Number.