Update to New Online Security
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 3, 2023
On July 30, 2016, Social Security began requiring new and current my Social Security account holders to sign into their account using a one-time code sent via text message. This second layer of security that requires more than a username and a password is known as “multifactor authentication.” We recently mandated this second layer of security to comply with the President’s Executive Order on Improving the Security of Consumer Financial Transactions. We implemented it aggressively because we have a fundamental responsibility to protect the public’s personal information.
Our aggressive implementation resulted in some of our customers being unable to access their personal my Social Security accounts. We listened to the public’s concerns, and have temporarily rolled back this mandate.
As before July 30, current account holders will be able to access their secure account using only their username and password. We highly recommend the extra security text message option, but it will not be required. Now, we are developing an alternative authentication option, besides text messaging, that we will implement within the next six months.
We strive to balance security and customer service options, and we want to ensure that our online services are both easy to use and secure. The best way to secure your information is to create a personal my Social Security account. If a person already has an account, a fraudulent attempt to create an account would be unsuccessful. The my Social Security service has always featured a robust verification and authentication process, and it remains safe and secure.
We regret any inconvenience you may have experienced. Open or access your personal my Social Security account today.
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Tags: my Social Security, my Social Security account
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Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
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Carl
The creation of a procedure requiring the use of a cell phone by everyone is incredibly asinine.
Ray F.
Hi Carl. We listened to the public’s concerns. We are responding by removing the requirement to use a cell phone to access your personal “my Social Security” account. While it is not mandatory, we encourage you who have a text capable cell phone to take advantage of this optional extra security, which has always been available. We continue to pursue more options beyond cell phone texting. Thanks!
ben
The OBAMA administration spent millions of our tax dollars to figure out this wonderful Texting Plan. So now it’s going to spend millions more to figure out another Plan. Meanwhile after spending all this tax money we get No Cola Raise for SS. Thanks again Obama.
Constance M.
How foolish is that comment? Don’t you know that the GOP is running the government right now?
Roy S.
Your crazy. Demo’s always blame someone else for their mistakes. Just like Obama and Hillary!
Harris F.
You are a hater and a braying jackass, like most Republicans.
BB
Thank you for hearing the people, since no one else in government does!!
sara
very good
see this : http://rahyabmoshaver.com/آدرس-دانشگاه-علمی-کاربردی-چهارمحال-و-ب/
Judith W.
I tried to put my cell phone in and hit the appropriate area to give me to the page to put my number in, however, the page never opened. That is the problem with getting the code from my cell phone to activate my site at the SS website. I emailed them about this but they give me the same site that will not open up for me. Can I do it by email? Please let me know as they keep sending the same info that doesn’t work for me.
Ray F.
Hello Judith! If you are having difficulties with your personal my Social Security account, please call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account. Sometimes, it might be best to visit your local Social Security office for further assistance.
Elmer Z.
So, in other words I don’t get to use my social security account online because I do not have a cell phone. Thank you so much for your consideration in imputing this stupid requirement..
What you should do is have the option.. cell phone text or email message. For people to choose which option they want to use.
I just cannot believe people that sit behind a desk in a government office just make these kind of decisions. It just goes to show how out of touch government officials are.
Thank you for the ability to log in … in the past… to view my social security account information… but I will no longer be able to do so..
I am using an email with this post, but I do not know if it is the one I have with my online account.. It might be, but I have not bothered to try to log in to find out..
Please let me know if you people ever come around to reality and reconsider this stupid decision to block people from using their online account.
Susan
That is what this post says, they have cancelled this cell phone text access policy due to the complaints. Initially they should have researched and realized that there was a large majority of people who did not have this option, could not afford it, did not want to use the technology etc.
Lane L.
I am glad for this news, and await to hear what the alternative option will be – hopefully and most certainly preferably email address.
Stephen A.
Thank you for hearing our complaints and most importantly, acting upon them.
Melissa
We won’t know they have acted on them until we see for ourselves that they have done it. Right now nothing new has been done.
Ray F.
Update! We removed the requirement to use a cell phone to access your #mySocialSecurity account. While it’s not mandatory, we encourage those of you who have a text capable cell phone to take advantage of this optional extra security, which has always been available. We continue to pursue more options beyond cell phone texting. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. http://bit.ly/20nvsaI
Vinnie
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Patricia B.
I am the Executive Director of the McMinnville Housing Authority in McMinnville, TN. We currently have 118 head of households, age 62+ living in our low-rent public housing here. There are many seniors that are not the head of the household living in our public housing too. Very few of them have the ability to send or receive text messages. Many have the free emergency phone but they only know how make limited calls. Maybe in big cities the seniors can receive a text message but that is not the case in our rural area here. What is the alternate solution?
Susan
At least they listened to the complaints. They should have actually researched the issue instead of assuming that everyone had cell phones or ones that were text enabled. Many on SS have a very low and limited income and cannot afford an extra expense of a cell phone. Some states offer a free cell phone for emergencies, or even one with a limited plan. Many aged SS receivers do not wish to add this technology to complicate their lives. My father-in-law in his 80’s added a computer, but receives maybe one e-mail every few weeks and refills his prescriptions through the computer, but that is all he uses it for. We got him a flip cell phone, but he was never comfortable using a landline due to hearing loss. This is not something many seniors wish to add to complicate their lives.
There are other ways to use multifactor authentication without using a cell phone. My bank uses my landline to call and give me a code to enter into the computer.
They , SS administrators need to get out there in the real world and understand the population they serve. They need to research before rolling out something a large majority cannot access.
Bert
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Susie
Carlinhos disse:Mesmo problema do Rui, por favor, preciso do nome das mÃ:ºucass“Rii disse:3 de janeiro de 2011 à s 21:26Boa noite. O meu irmão formatou o meu mp4, e perdi toda a informação. Alguém me poderia dizer o nome das músicas que já vinham no mp4, ou alguma maneira de as recuperar? Obrigado”
John K.
So the President has issued an Executive Order (one of many) on “Improving the Security of Consumer Financial Transactions.” Assuming this is beneficial, we could have used another one entitled “Improving the Security of the United States by Cabinet Members Using Personal Servers.” Granted, the personal servers were supposed to be illegal, but the old story is “move along, nothing to see here……”
Susan
I am not a Hillary supporter, however she did what the previous Secretary of State did in using a personal cell phone. If you can recall when Mr. Obama went into office they wanted him to not even use a cell phone let alone use social media or e-mail. He was the 1st POTUS to use this sort of technology. Sec. Hillary was only the 2nd one in her position to use a cell phone and she just followed what the previous one had done. Now from this experience, the IT advisors know how to be more secure.
Carrie
Susan I strongly recommend that you look at the server problem hillary had and not any cell phone issue. What she did has never been done to the publics knowledge, as it is illegal
Myron A.
Thank you. I am a retired engineer who worked 45 years in Telecommunications; however I do not text and I suspect the majority of people my age do not text. So thanks for responding to concerns and for pursuing an alternative to achieve a level of security that we all want.
BGP
I totally agree….most seniors do not text or even have a cell phone that accepts text msgs. Hopefully they can implement e-mail as the means for receiving the code. But really glad they rescinded the mandated requirement for cell phones!
JK
I also thank you. I’m another senior who does not text. It was distressing to think that I would have to pay for that service in order to have an online SS account.
Destiny
jij Camel gerookt? Dat was in mijn tijd een echt oude manmnenerk :)Ik mis roken ook niet, maar ik denk er nog steeds over na om op later leeftijd weer te beginnen. Als ik dat maar lang genoeg uitstel, dan komt het er vanzelf niet van.En een shaggie draaien was en is fun!
Ed
Myron, I’m 52 years removed from entering the information age, 16 years on Social Security. I text, as do probably the vast majority of my friends of the same age. I would not be so rash, however, as to jump to any conclusion as to what the majority of people our age do or do not do so far as texting is concerned. That would require looking at real data.