All U.S. Social Security numbers may need to be changed following a massive breach that is already being investigated as a national threat

A whistleblower has warned that a mishandled cloud copy of Social Security data could put millions at lifelong risk and force Social Security numbers to be changed. The former chief data officer at the Social Security Administration, Chuck Borges, alleges that a federal tech team copied the government’s master Social Security database into a cloud system that lacked normal oversight. If true, this mishandling could expose hundreds of millions of people to fraud and abuse for the rest of their lives. The dataset at issue includes Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, bank and credit card information, tax details, work histories, and home addresses for millions of Americans. Security experts worry that once such a detailed profile is widely copied, criminals can potentially open accounts, hijack benefits, or file fake tax returns for years. Social Security officials have pushed back on the most dire version of this story, but later court filings have complicated that reassurance.