TSP to halt use of Social Security numbers as account IDs

In an effort to enhance security, the 3.8 million participants in the federal Thrift Savings Plan will no longer be identified by their Social Security numbers, officials for the retirement savings program announced Friday.

Starting Oct. 1, TSP enrollees will begin using account numbers in place of Social Security numbers, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board announced in the Federal Register. Participants also will begin using passwords in place of 4-digit personal identification numbers for online transactions, officials said.

According to a notice posted on the TSP Web site in August, participants will use the new account number in conjunction with the TSP Web password to access their accounts online. Social Security numbers will still be used in some situations. For instance, service representatives might use them to further verify participants' identities, the Web notice said.

Participants can expect to receive their new account numbers by mail in September, officials said. "Although we know that moving to account numbers may be inconvenient for some participants, we hope you understand that this is just one step in ensuring the security of your TSP account," the Web site stated.

Mark Hagerty, the plan's chief information officer, said in June 2006 that he wanted to expand TSP's security measures by enabling participants to switch to using account numbers. Concerns mounted in late December, after hackers accessed the accounts of participants and stole $35,000.

The board will discuss the change at the monthly meeting next week, said David Toro, a congressional inquiries analyst for the TSP. "Regarding future security measures, we continue to study the issue to stay ahead of the curve," he said.