Did you know that a person’s average online presence creates around 1.7 megabytes of personally identifiable information per day?
“PII refers to any information that can be used to identify an individual directly or indirectly.”
It includes data elements that can uniquely identify or link to a specific person, which could potentially lead to privacy concerns if not handled with care.
Types of PII data:
- Personally Identifiable Information: names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license numbers, and other unique identifiers directly associated with an individual’s identity.
- Sensitive Personal Information: financial information, medical records, biometric data, ethnicity, religious beliefs
The protection of PII is crucial in maintaining individual privacy and preventing unauthorized access or misuse. Organizations and individuals must implement strong security measures to safeguard PII from data breaches, identity theft, and other malicious activities.
Some examples of data security controls may include:
- Encryption
- Employee training
- Identity and access management (IAM)
- Anonymization
- Data loss prevention tools (DLP)
It is essential to protect PII to safeguard privacy and prevent potential harm. As the digital age progresses, it becomes increasingly important for organizations and individuals alike to handle PII responsibly and implement robust security measures to maintain data privacy and security.