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What does your phone number say about you?

Plenty, according to tech writer Brian Chen of the New York Times. After reading one of his articles, I thought about the number of times an individual’s phone number is tied to us as a means of identification.

Turns out, quite often.

Chen says we’ve been “conditioned to share a piece of personal information without a moment’s hesitation: our phone number.”

Sign up for an app? Supply your phone number. Log in to the grocery store rewards program with a phone number. Forget your email password and get a verification text sent to your phone number.

Chen hypothesizes that an individual’s phone number is one of the strongest ways to identify someone. He joined forces with a mobile security firm, which, in a matter of minutes, discovered all sorts of tidbits about Chen based on his phone number.

Name, date of birth, address, family members, the property tax rate he pays.

Imagine if that information landed in the wrong hands, if some nefarious individual chose to tap into Chen’s online accounts using the data.

Scary.

The problem is, you don’t have to rely on a public records database to land information. Plenty of aggregate websites gather enough data that can be used against you. One search on my husband’s name uncovered our address, five phone numbers, a list of family members, former residences and marital status.

It also led to the discovery of potential identity theft, which neither of us would’ve been aware of, if I hadn’t tested Chen’s theory.

How can handing over your digits harm you?

According to Chen, hackers could attempt to reset passwords for online accounts by answering security questions, SIM swap the number onto a new card, intercept text messages set up to provide security for online accounts or inundate the number with spam and robocalls.

Makes me want to grasp my phone a little tighter and be more protective of its number and contents.

Of course, there are plenty of times it’s okay to distribute the number. Think about websites, like Gmail or online banking, that establish two-step verification. Those safety precautions are put in place for a reason.

When I was setting up the Advocate-Messenger website, the web hosting owner I worked with developed the form for individuals to subscribe. The form included a spot for a customer’s phone number. Personally, I couldn’t see any reason to include that field, but he assured me a time may come when I need to contact a customer or to verify someone’s identity.

We guarantee this: our business and web hosting company will never sell your phone number. That’s a promise we will not break.