Identity theft has evolved into a high-stakes industry, and your Social Security number is the ultimate skeleton key for scammers. While you’re distracted by the chaos of a winter storm or busy planning a Valentine’s vacation, cybercriminals rely on your lack of digital information on the situation. Your SSN is not just a random string of digits; it’s the gateway to your financial soul, used for everything from opening fraudulent lines of credit to hijacking your tax returns and medical records.

But there’s no need to just cross your fingers and hope for the best. There is a free, powerful defense at your disposal: lock your SSN and freeze your credit.

“SSN lock” (like E-Verify Self Lock) prevents someone from using your number to get a job, while the credit freeze preventing them from opening new credit cards or loans in your name. Yes, it adds an extra step when you need to apply for something, but that’s a minor hassle compared to the nightmare of cleaning up after an identity thief. You might want to ask for help from a identity protection service. If your information has been breached, stop waiting and lock it.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred source of Google.

How to lock your Social Security number

There are two ways to block access to your Social Security number.

Call the Social Security Administration

You can contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 between 8 am and 7 pm local time, Monday to Friday. Wait times are usually shorter in the morning and later in the week. Once you confirm your identity, the SSA will wave its magic wand and block electronic access to your SSN.

Create an E-Verify account

You can also create a Sat-verify online account to lock your SSN and use the service about self-lock. The lock lasts for one year. But you will be alerted 30 days before it expires and you can extend the lock if you want.

This resource is available because many employers use E-Verify, a service administered by the SSA and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, to check your employment eligibility.

If you lock your Social Security number, a company looking to verify your SSN cannot verify your identity, stopping criminals from committing fraud. This option is also useful if you don’t want to pick up the phone every time you want to unlock your SSN.

The downside of locking your SSN

The main disadvantage of locking your SSN is very familiar to anyone who has a credit freeze in place. When you block access to your SSN records, you also block your access to them. This means you have to go through the hassle of opening it whenever you need a new employer to verify your eligibility to work in the US or you want to receive government benefits.

This repetition will be worth it to the individuals who suffered identity theft at work and tax fraud. For additional protection against tax identity theft, you can create a identity protection pin with the IRS to prevent someone else from filing a tax return using your SSN or individual taxpayer identification number.

What is the difference between locking your SSN and a credit freeze?

A credit freeze is different from a Social Security number lock, although both are free. One blocks access to your Social Security record online while a credit freeze blocks access to your credit reports. on Create a credit freezeyou must contact all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to prevent anyone from creating credit accounts in your name.

Does locking my SSN protect me from identity theft?

The answer here is somewhat unsatisfying: Maybe. Locking your Social Security number can prevent identity theft for employment or prevent a criminal from collecting government benefits in your name. But it doesn’t prevent all types of ID theft. As an added precaution, you should share your Social Security number only when it is absolutely necessary and not in an unsolicited call or text message.

It’s also a good idea to monitor your financial accounts and your credit reports for any unusual activity. If you want a service to do this for you, you can sign up for one credit monitoring service or one ID theft protection service. You should always sign up for credit monitoring to keep an eye on your credit reports. ID theft protection often includes credit monitoring as well as dark web monitoring and alerts if your information has been compromised in a data breach. If your identity is compromised, identity theft protection can help you recover it through white glove restoration services.

For added security, you can freeze your credit with Experian, TransUnion and Equifax to prevent identity thieves from opening new lines of credit, such as a mortgage or car loan, in your name. I did this recently and found the process surprisingly easy.

More advice on protecting your identity