Online renewal systems alleged to raise identity fraud risk

Security of licensing data has become an issue with Indiana’s nursing board, which uses an online system for renewing nurses’ licenses, according to a May 16 news report published by Wish TV.

The system requests that Indiana nurses use their licensing number, which is public record, and the last four digits of the nurse’s social security number to log in.

But a person’s last four digits of their social security is not difficult to obtain if that person was a perpetrator or victim of a crime, or if they had filed for bankruptcy or been part of a lawsuit, notes the report.

There have been numerous instances of identity fraud with the online renewal system, and the issue has gotten the attention of Indiana’s Attorney General, Greg Zoeller.

However, no proposals to change the online system’s security requirements have yet to be announced.

Read more here.