![Only release your SSN to trusted, verified vendors, and only do this if it is absolutely necessary.]( https://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/360x200p/cpi.studiod.com/www_ehow_com/i.ehow.com/images/a08/24/9t/can-social-security-card-fast-800x800.jpg 360w)
Your Social Security Number (SSN) is a nine-digit identification number you are assigned by the United States government. It is necessary to have one if you want to apply for a job, secure a bank loan or create an account with many utilities. Due to this importance, you should protect your SSN as best you can. One way to protect it when you're composing a document is to replace the numbers with Xs.
Divide nine Xs into three sections: three-two-four. This mimics the format of an SSN.
Separate the sections with dashes. For example, XXX-XX-XXXX.
Read More: How to Obtain a Forgotten SSN
Replace the Xs with any numbers of your SSN. A common security check with most companies is to ask you for the last four digits of your SSN, so you can write out XXX-XX-5555.
Writer Bio
John W. Smith is currently a copy editor with Demand Media Studios.