PDF was emailed to me with my SSN

[emanon1501]

I am in the proces of buying a house. So, we are filling out the paper works and stuff. I either fax or mail my papers. However, my banked just emailed me a PDF with my SSN on it. It was not password protected. Did the bank just broke the law or something? Email is not secure at all.

[lorraineb]

This might be frustrating and I would let the bank know, but your SS# isn't secure and it would be fairly easy for anyone who really wanted to find it to get hold of it. That goes for any and all information about you. I would let them know your displeasure, but in the scheme of things, there are much bigger things to worry and get upset about. Just my 2 cents.

[tulog]

Financial institutions subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (or GLB), 15 U.S.C. §§6801-6810, must adopt procedures to safeguard customer data. Financial companies should notify customers when there has been unauthorized access to customer data if, after an investigation, the financial institution determines that customer data has been or is likely to be misused.

[emanon1501]

Financial institutions subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (or GLB), 15 U.S.C. §§6801-6810, must adopt procedures to safeguard customer data. Financial companies should notify customers when there has been unauthorized access to customer data if, after an investigation, the financial institution determines that customer data has been or is likely to be misused.

Thanks. There is no way to determine if anyone intercepted my email. Is there a formal process to file a complaint? That way, if something happens to my credit, I have a record to dispute it, fight it, or whatever.

[disneysteve]

Email is not secure at all.

Neither are faxes or snail mail. If someone wants your info, they're going to get it. Of the 3 - fax, mail, and e-mail - I'd feel safest doing business by e-mail. It goes to a specific person and is password protected unlike fax and mail which could easily be intercepted by anyone looking to get into trouble.

[BuckyBadger]

I was going to say the same thing as Steve. As far as those three options, I would choose email every time.

It feels to me like you're angry at the bank for something and want to try to "get" them for something. You seem to be over reacting to me.

Every time I refinanced or applied for a mortgage I emailed about a million documents, fully half of which probably had my SSN on them. Never once was I worried.

If I were you, I'd let it go, relax a bit, and freeze your credit once you're done. Then you can sleep at night and won't have to worry about anything.

[emanon1501]

I work in IT Field and I have a degree in Information Security. It’s very very easy to sniff the packet to get that information. It’s unlikely anyone got my information, but I know how to do it and it is very easy. Most companies have policies in place that either bans sending out that information via email or has procedure in places to secure the information. If I did that from my job, I would be fired as I work for medical insurance company.


FYI. I am not angry or losing sleep over this.

[snafu]

As an expert in Information Security, I hope you'll comment on the likelihood and level of risk most of us suffer from identity theft or being 'hacked.' We're told repeatedly that the risk is statistically insignificant but that we are most at risk in banking activity or by action of government. They are the two with the worst record of protecting their client's privacy.