Identify and protect PII (Personally Identifiable Information)

[nusaibatara]

Personally Identifiable Information Leaks: Everything You Need to Know
Who wants their personally identifiable information and sensitive data to be leaked and used for fraudulent activities? But the sad reality is that it is now commonplace. A recent survey shows that nearly 50% of data breaches occurring between 2021 and 2023 involved customers' personally identifiable information (PII), and 40% of these came from employees. This data is in a.PII isn't complicated, but it's still important to understand what it is and why it's important to protect it. This guide has all the answers to help you protect your PII and yourself.

What is PII?
PII, or Personally Identifiable Information, is an important part of your phone number list identity that can be directly pointed to you. Think of it as a secret code that, alone or mixed with other information, can reveal who you are. Therefore, it is more than just your name and address; it is like puzzle pieces that, when put together, create a complete picture of "you". For example, let's say your name is John. There are many people around the world with the same name, so it cannot be considered PII. However, what if we say your name is John Doe, you live in Manhattan, and your social security number is AXY123? Now, it becomes a PII that uniquely identifies you from other Johns who live in other areas.

PII can be divided into non-sensitive information and sensitive information. We will introduce it next.
The U.S. Department of Defense provides an example of PII. Everything from a social security number to a person's address is personally identifiable information. Let's look at two different categories of PII:

Sensitive PII is information that can easily identify an individual. If obtained by cybercriminals, this type of PII could cause harm to an individual.

Any information that identifies an individual but cannot be used to harm the individual (such as a maiden name) is defined as non-sensitive PII.

If you or any business wants to collect PII, they must use online forms, surveys and social media, preferably with a confidentiality agreement. Make sure when providing PII to others, check that they have an appropriate plan in place for the use, storage and protection of the information.

Why is PII important?
PII is crucial because it protects your data. Any business or organization that has your PII is legally obligated to protect it at all costs. It provides security for your personal information. Businesses can use your information for many purposes, such as attacks such as social engineering using spoofed domain names or emails can trick users into revealing PII. In addition, hacking of email accounts, data breaches, etc. can also lead to the disclosure of private information.