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Better Protections Needed for Social Security Numbers Used By Gov’t Contractors

Social Security Numbers: Stronger Protections Needed When Contractors Have Access to SSNs GAO-06-238, January 23, 2006. Highlights.

  • “Federal regulation and oversight of SSN sharing varied across the four industries GAO reviewed, revealing gaps in federal law and agency oversight in the four industries GAO reviewed that share SSNs with contractors. Financial services companies must comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) for safeguarding customers’ personal information and regulators have an examination process in place to determine whether banks and securities firms are safeguarding this information. IRS has regulations and guidance in place to restrict the disclosure of SSNs by tax preparers and their contractors, but does not perform periodic reviews of tax preparers’ compliance. Because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) believes that it lacks statutory authority to do so, it has not issued regulations covering SSNs and also does not periodically review telecommunications companies to determine whether they are safeguarding such information.”
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