The Birth Certificate
Author: John Published Under: Information Security
One of the most important attributed identifiers, which is also the one most ripe for abuse is the birth certificate.
Birth certificates include a great deal of information, such as full name, date of birth, parents name, and address, which is provided at the time of the child's birth.
In the United Kingdom, anyone can receive a copy of someone's birth certificate for a small fee, as they are a matter of public record.
In the United States, birth certificates are handled on a state level, so the process to receive a copy of someone's birth certificate varies state by state. In some states, it is required to provide a valid ID, although this is not required in every state.
Problems with Using the Birth Certificate to Prove Identity
One of the problems with the amount of weight that is placed on the birth certificate as an identifier is how easy it is to obtain.
Despite the fact that printed on the birth certificate is a notice warning that it should not be used to validate identity, it is still relied upon in many situations to prove identity.
Birth Certificate's can be used to get a passport, driver's license, social security number, and many other vital pieces of information, with many of these pieces of information being the stepping stone to a stolen identity.