Don't Let Identity Thieves Use Your Social Security Number. Here's How to Lock It

Geoff Williams is a journalist and author. His byline has appeared in numerous publications, including U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, LIFE magazine, CNNMoney.com, The Wall Street Journal's Buy Side and Consumer Reports. He is also the author of several books, including "C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race" (Tantor Media) and "Washed Away" (Pegasus Books).

Whether you're applying for a job, filing a tax return or opening a new credit card account, you typically need to input your Social Security number. But if this nine-digit number is exposed in a data breach, it can be a pain to recover from the damage. 

Identity thieves who get their hands on your SSN can also use it to get a job in your name, rack up credit card debt against your credit score and to steal your tax ...