U.S. Sprint Using SSN as Passcode?

[Paul Ferguson]

> As hinted in the title, the passcode is the customer's SSN plus one digit
> supplied by US Sprint.  Now all the bad guys need is a sharp set of ears or
> a microphone in the phone booth and they have us by the <insert name of
> whatever organs you hold near and dear to your heart>.  I hope this idiotic
> passcode scheme dies a quick, horrible death.  Maybe I misunderstood or the
> reporter got it wrong (a permutation on the SSN is little better, though),
> but I don't think so.
> 
> ObRant about the dangers of giving out one's SSN deleted for brevity.

I can, at least, assure you that we internet engineering types are not
as foolish as our voice counterparts. Also, marketing is an evil thing. 

ObCaveat: I speak for myself, my data brethren, and not for US Sprint.

____________________________________________________________________________
Paul Ferguson                         
Sprint Managed Router Network Engineering              tel: 703.904.2437 
Herndon, Virginia  USA                            internet: ferguson at icp.net