Database privacy. Maureen Mitchell and her husband discovered the hard way how un-private databases can be. In March 2000, their identities were stolen over the Internet, and the thieves made large purchases, procured bank loans, and opened credit accounts in their name. Although they had never conducted financial transactions on the Web and always carefully guarded their credit data, their data was available online. »

Identity theft is the top consumer fraud complaint in America. One of the most common ways that identity theft is committed is through the theft of an individual's Social Security number. Failing to safeguard your SSN is a good way to become a victim of identity theft.

• How does possession of someone's Social Security number facilitate identity theft?
  
  

1. If you were a database administrator, what key would you use in a database, say, for student records?
2. An approach that works well for choosing database keys might not work well for assigning PINs for account access. Why not?
3. With respect to account PINs, the other side of the coin is that forgetting one's PIN shouldn't deny someone access to their bank account, mutual fund, or life insurance. Can you design a scheme for granting access that is resistant to identity theft but not cumbersome for a customer to use?