SSA Now Requires You to Have a Text Capable Cell Phone

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I got an email today from the Social Security Administration telling me that they are adding additional authentication to the “My Social Security” website. Starting next month, you have to provide SSA with a cell phone number and when you sign in, you will be texted an authentication code. There is no alternative option other than not using the web service.

So, apparently, the SSA has determined that all citizens in the US are now well enough off to own a cell phone. Of course, if they don’t they can always have their chauffeur drive them to the nearest SSA office.

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Graham,

Yeah, I got the same thing. Our wonderful government at work. Everybody else gives you options like Google Authenticator or Email, but not the USG pay for text or go home. I have a Smart phone but have Texting disabled because I don’t like it and don’t want to pay for it. YMMV. My wife and I use What’s App for when we need to contact each other when making a call wouldn’t be appropriate and that works just fine for us.

:cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Well, they’ll give you a free government phone if you don’t have the money to buy your own!

Seriously, though, if you have a landline, and they use that number to send you a text, text-to-landline will kick in — it will read you the text out loud.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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I got this too.

text-to-landline will kick in

Did NOT work for me. Got bounced I think!

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Text to landline? Interesting. Never knew such a beast existed. I wonder if it would work with phone companies basic lifeline service.

Still, I find it absurd that the SSA – who should be used to dealing with low income families and seniors – should require something like this. Granted, it only effects web service but that’s the only way many people in rural areas can easily access the SSA.

The gubment can be rather dense sometimes.

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Text to landline? Interesting. Never knew such a beast existed. I wonder if it would work with phone companies basic lifeline service.

Still, I find it absurd that the SSA – who should be used to dealing with low income families and seniors – should require something like this. Granted, it only effects web service but that’s the only way many people in rural areas can easily access the SSA.

The gubment can be rather dense sometimes.

The use of the word “dense” is hardly appropriate.
Identity theft and online fraud are serious issues and this requirement is the result of an executive order for federal agencies to provide more secure authentication for their online services.
If someone has the wherewithal to use an online service with a computer, surely they have a basic cellphone that receives text messages. :rolleyes:

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If someone has the wherewithal to use an online service with a computer, surely they have a basic cellphone that receives text messages.

Wrong. Many people depend on community resources to access the internet. Library, school, community center, etc.

I have no problem with secondary ID. My bank does it. But they offer email, text or phone call service. The problem here is that the SSA, who routinely deals with people who have little or no resources somehow are expecting these people to have a text capable cell phone and text service. That’s not realistic.

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The problem here is that the SSA, who routinely deals with people who have little or no resources somehow are expecting these people to have a text capable cell phone and text service. That’s not realistic.

I hesitate to comment on something relating to the USA, but I would have thought that the problem is related to age, not income.

I would wager that almost every single young person from the age of ten (if not younger) has a text-capable phone, if not a “smart”phone, but that this would not necessarily be true of “old people”, whose familiarity with technology is less certain. Not all of the olde people have been working with technology for the last fifty years, like we may well have done!

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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Text to landline? Interesting. Never knew such a beast existed. I wonder if it would work with phone companies basic lifeline service.

Send a text to your landline, and see how it works. I have received two in my lifetime.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Over 90% of adults in the USA own a cell phone and around 80% of adults over 65 are similarly equipped.
I also wouldn’t log in to the SSA website on a Public computer.
This is moaning for the sake of it rather than accepting the wisdom of two-factor authentication.

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This is moaning for the sake of it rather than accepting the wisdom of two-factor authentication.

I have no problem with two factor ID, I use Google Authenticator and get emails regularly from other sources, even the occasional voice call with an automated code reader.

But I do have a problem with MY Government telling me they will only support a single method of TFA. I have chosen consciously NOT to use texting and don’t think I should be forced to do so by the government I pay for. It’s not like they have to invent this wheel it’s being used everywhere. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Interestingly enough, I have never received any such notification BUT I didn’t sign up for the “My account” online. I assume that SSA ” My Account” figures that if you can sign in on a computer, you have a cell phone with a texting plan.
The Govt. is extremely over bloated now and they use media and every other trick in the book to convince you that we need more Govt. because we are too stupid to fend for ourselves. Just an opinion, don’t shoot me.;)

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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Interestingly enough, I have never received any such notification BUT I didn’t sign up for the “My account” online. I assume that SSA ” My Account” figures that if you can sign in on a computer, you have a cell phone with a texting plan.
The Govt. is extremely over bloated now and they use media and every other trick in the book to convince you that we need more Govt. because we are too stupid to fend for ourselves. Just an opinion, don’t shoot me.;)

A reasonable assumptiom IMHO.
The SSA website would be at the forefront of attempts at identity theft, for obvious reasons, so I feel the security of my data has been improved by this change.
Nobody is obliged to access their account online.

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Interestingly enough, I have never received any such notification BUT I didn’t sign up for the “My account” online. I assume that SSA ” My Account” figures that if you can sign in on a computer, you have a cell phone with a texting plan.

I have been using computers since the mid-70’s. I have had a prepaid cell phone, not a smartphone, for about three years. I do not use texting as I have a lot of trouble with the phone keyboard entering text. However I have just bought a smartphone where texting is much easier. Still I think SSA should offer an alternate method of checking security. My SSA office is about two miles away. I have visited it once since I turned 65 some 20 years ago.

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I don’t believe you have SMS free mobiles!

cheers, Paul

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I believe I have received texts from someone with a government phone.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Not ONE person above mentioned the REAL problem with the SSA requiring text messaging for two-step authentication: What if you don’t have cell service at your home? Am I the only one in the U.S.A. without cell service at my home? I don’t think so. Am I supposed to drive a few miles from my home to get my text message and drive home to complete my SSA login on my desktop PC? Why can’t they just send the authentication code in an email?

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What if you don’t have cell service at your home?

You are correct and while that occurred to me while writing this, I didn’t mention it. I happen to live in a location that has perfectly adequate cable internet but a history of spotty cell reception. Currently, unless you have a modern 4G LTE phone, you can frequently find yourself without a signal.

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Not ONE person above mentioned the REAL problem with the SSA requiring text messaging for two-step authentication: What if you don’t have cell service at your home? Am I the only one in the U.S.A. without cell service at my home? I don’t think so. Am I supposed to drive a few miles from my home to get my text message and drive home to complete my SSA login on my desktop PC? Why can’t they just send the authentication code in an email?

One way round that may be to get/use a Google Voice number, then you can receive text messages on your PC.

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Trev, you beat me to the punch. I just tested that method. See below.

I received this email from the SSA as well. The main problem for me is that they don’t offer alternate forms of two factor authorization (2fa). I recently tried to get into another site that required 2fa and for whatever reason never got the code texted to my cell. Nor did it ring my home phone when I chose that method. I finally got the code sent to my email address which allowed me to log in and pay my bill!

The other problem with not having an alternative way to receive the 2fa code is, what happens if your cell phone number changes! You can’t log in to change the number after the fact!

Anyway, the main reason I am posting is to suggest using a Google Voice number. I just sent a text from my cell phone to my Google Voice number, and not only did I get the text message back on my phone (I have my Google Voice number linked to my cell phone number), I also got the text message in GMail. So it would appear that using a Google Voice number serves as an automatic dual 2FA method of delivery – text (sms) AND email via GMail.

(edited to correct spelling mistakes)

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Trev, you beat me to the punch.

That’s a first for me!
Hopefully it might assist others with cell phone issues.

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Oh and I also tried to text my landline and got a response back from my cell phone provider offering to send this and all future text messages to this number as a voice message for 25-cents a message + std message fee. So I’m not sure if the prior suggestion about how using your landline phone will cause text-to-landline will kick in and read you the text out loud is valid. Unless the SSA has that capability built in which I doubt based on the technical and resource constraints that they say are preventing them from offering alternative methods… per http://blog.ssa.gov/new-online-security/

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As usual the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.

NIST is no longer hot for SMS-based two-factor authentication.

I know the traffic in WDC is bad but you’d think at least someone would Text the SSA!
35623-ROTFLOL

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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As an update to this, it seems SSA is dropping the the 2FA requirement for now.

http://time.com/money/4452191/social-security-drops-its-texting-requirement/

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FWIW, the SSA apparently caught some flak on this and is backing off this requirement for now.

…, multifactor authentication inconvenienced or restricted access to some of our account holders. We’re listening to your concerns and are responding by temporarily rolling back this mandate.

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