Social Security Makes Security Update to On-line Accounts

By Diane M. Wilson CFP® Social Security makes security update to on-line account effective June 10, 2017.

The security update will have a second method to check account identification when you sign in to my Social Security. According to Social Security communications, the goal is to evaluate and improve how they protect your information.  The administration’s web site has a robust cyber security program in place to help protect personal information. Adding additional security measures to safeguard personal information is a vital to security.

my Social Security’s first layer of protection is your username and password.  When you sign in after June 10, 2017, you will have two choices for the second level of identification.  You may choose either your email address or your cell phone as the second way for the administration to identify you.  The second level layer of protects your account from unauthorized use and identity fraud.

If you do not have an account, you may create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

According to the Social Security administration, each time you sign in to your account, you will complete two steps:

• Step 1: Enter your username and password.
• Step 2: Enter the security code we send you by text message or email, depending on your choice (your cell phone provider’s text message and data rates may apply).

If you do not have a text-enabled cell phone, or you do not wish to provide your cell phone number, you will need to choose your email address as a contact method so we can send you a one-time security code to access your my Social Security account. To ensure you receive the email with the one-time security code timely and it does not go into your spam or junk folder, you can add NO-REPLY@ssa.gov to your contact list.

Social Security is committed to using the best technologies and standards available to protect customers’ data. By adding the second layer of protection, customers will have more confidence their data is secure.