For such a controversial nine digit sequence, the Social Security Number (SSN) started off innocently enough as a way to assure that retirees and their families receive the benefits due them. The SSN was born on August 14, 1935 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law which created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. More than 35 million numbers were issued during the first year of availability and as of now, over 415 million have been issued.

The Social Security Act itself did not expressly mention the use of SSNs, but it authorized the creation of some type of record keeping scheme. It wasn't until 1943 that by Executive Order 9397 it was required that all Federal agencies use the SSN exclusively when a new identification system for individuals was set up.

It was during the 1960s and 70s that the SSN was moved toward becoming the ubiquitous United States identification tool. In 1961, the SSN became the taxpayer identification number for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the official Federal employee identifier. During that decade, most Federal programs from military service to medical benefits dropped whatever previous systems they were using and transferred to the SSN. In 1970, the financial institutions were folded into the picture when they were required to obtain the SSNs of all their customers and report any transactions exceeding $10,000 to the IRS; then came enumerating children when they entered school. The SSN was on the brink of becoming the national identity card.

The privacy people began to rumble in the mid-1970s and in 1981, the Reagan administration stated that it "is explicitly opposed to the creation of a national identity card" but recognized the need for a means for employers to comply with the employer sanctions provisions of its immigration reform legislation. Though the use of the SSN as a primary identifier has continued to grow, privacy professionals have stepped in to stem the tide and put some parameters around its use.

So what do your nine numbers mean? The SSN is the sum of three parts:

• The first set of three digits is called the Area Number
• The second set of two digits is called the Group Number
• The final set of four digits is the Serial Number

The Area Number is assigned by the geographical region. Prior to 1972, cards were issued in local Social Security offices around the country and the Area Number represented the State in which the card was issued. This did not necessarily have to be the State where the applicant lived, since a person could apply for their card in any Social Security office. Since 1972, when SSA began assigning SSNs and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, the area number assigned has been based on the ZIP code in the mailing address provided on the application.

Generally, numbers were assigned beginning in the northeast and moving westward. So people on the east coast have the lowest numbers and those on the west coast have the highest numbers.

Within each area, the group numbers (middle two digits) range from 01 to 99 but are not assigned in consecutive order. Contrary to any myths you've heard, they were intended initially for organizing purposes as sub-groups within the area number in the pre-computer days of hard copy searches through miles of files.

Within each group, the serial numbers (last four digits) run consecutively from 0001 through 9999.

Some privacy advocates warn that the display of Social Security numbers in public records must be reduced as they are a primary piece of information in the commission of identity theft crimes. Given the nature of the Social Security number as a unique identifier for important records and services, governmental agencies and sectors of commerce need access to this data in order to transact legal, financial, medical and military business. To facilitate a balanced system, nearly every state legislature has considered legislation in recent years calling for the redaction or truncation of Social Security numbers contained in government records, and several states, Florida and Washington among them, have passed some kind of Social Security Number legislation.

The truth of the matter is that very little, if any, identity theft occurs as a result of a stolen SSN exclusively from a public record. The latest MasterCard incident where peoples' name, address and credit card information was compromised demonstrates that. Internet scams such as 'phishing' get people to reveal their personally identifiable information through false pretenses. It is also important to consider the fact that collection, use, and verification of Social Security numbers is in some instances mandated by federal law. State and local efforts to limit the collection, use and verification of Social Security numbers create a conflict between federal and state/local laws.

What can you do to protect your SSN? Don't give it to anyone as identification unless they are mandated to use it. If the SSN is on a form for you to fill out, enter: Not Applicable or N/A. If they really need your SSN they can ask for it and you can ask why they need it. Don't carry your card around in your wallet or publish it (or your driver's license number for that matter) on your checks.

Darity Wesley is CEO and Legal Counsel for Privacy Solutions, Inc. a San Diego based consulting firm. Her team of Privacy Gurus® work with you to create policies and procedures to establish the expectation of privacy for your members, clients, customers, prospects, affiliates, associates, employees and vendors. You can reach her at (619)670-9462 or Darity@privacygurus.com