With data breaches continuously ramping up over the years, and massive breaches of consumer data as seen in the Equifax breach -- there is little doubt that the sensitive data of most Americans, such as your social security number, is available for purchase to cybercriminals at a moment's notice. In fact, many Americans have already encountered financial fraud and identity theft as a result of this. In response, many of the credit reporting agencies have offered consumers the ability to freeze their SSN -- in theory limiting the ability for criminals to open new lines of credit or request credit inquiries until the file is unfrozen using a password or PIN that you create.
The security issues with the credit freezes have been reported on numerous times, and it appears that the lack of focus on security extends to the DHS, as well. The E-Verify system is supposed to be another avenue for consumers to lock their SSN and protect against identity theft, though there are little to no protections to stop anyone from creating another account with your SSN, even if you already have an account created.
The main article provides a lot of information about the issues with E-Verify system. Check it out on KrebsOnSecurity HERE.