Social Security Number Procedures
This web site provides extensive information pertaining to Virginia Commonwealth University's policy on the collection, maintenance and dissemination of Social Security Numbers (SSNs). Information on how VCU's policy affects students, faculty, staff, contractors and developers can be found at this web site. Please use this feedback form to submit questions about SSN issues or to report SSN misuse at the University.
Social Security Numbers are very confidential and are legally protected. VCU is committed to protecting the privacy of the members of the University population and to minimizing the growing risk of identity theft by eliminating the use of SSNs wherever possible.
A Social Security Task Force has been formed with the following objectives:
- Eliminate the use of the SSN as the primary identifier for all individuals associated with the University
- Raise awareness of the confidential nature of the SSN
- Protect privacy interests of all VCU community members
- Provide a consistent policy regarding treatment of SSNs
- Promote confidence by the University community that SSNs are handled in a confidential manner
VCU's Social Security Number Policy
Background - What Has Been Done to Protect SSNs at VCU
What You Can Do
- Actions You Should Take to Protect Student and Employee SSNs
- Minimizing Your Risk
- Fighting Back Against Identity Theft
- Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft
- United States Department of Justice - Identity Theft Quiz for Consumers
- Privacy Rights Clearing House – Identity Theft Quizzes
Tools for Finding SSNs
Spider from Cornell University that will examine Windows or Linux systems for files containing any number of confidential data types. Follow instructions carefully and be sure to remove and/or protect Spider log files since they can contain pointers to some very sensitive information on your system.from Cornell University for Windows and Unix can be run on local workstations and on mounted network shares.
Find_SSN from Virginia Tech examines Windows systems and can be run on local workstations and on mounted network shares.
