What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?

What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?

Let me tell you directly: Personally identifiable information, or PII, is any data that can pinpoint you as an individual, either on its own or when combined with other pieces of information.

This covers direct identifiers like your passport details, which by themselves can single you out. It also includes quasi-identifiers such as your race or birthdate, which might need to be pieced together to reveal who you are. As the digital world keeps growing, you, along with companies and governments, need to understand and protect this information—it's becoming a critical issue.

Key Takeaways on PII

Here's what you should know: PII is any data that uniquely identifies you, making it a top target for identity theft and cyberattacks. Sensitive PII involves things like Social Security numbers and biometric records, whereas nonsensitive PII could be basic details like your name.

With big data everywhere, the risk of breaches has skyrocketed, leading regulatory bodies around the world to create laws to protect PII. Companies must use techniques like anonymization and encryption to safeguard your PII when sharing data. Remember, incidents like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal show the heavy legal and reputational fallout for failing to protect it.

The Role of PII in the Digital Age

Advancing tech has transformed how businesses run, governments make laws, and you interact with others. Tools like cellphones, the internet, ecommerce, and social media have led to an explosion in all sorts of data.

We call this big data, and it's collected, analyzed, and processed by companies, then shared with others. This wealth of info helps businesses understand how to better connect with you as a customer.

But big data has also ramped up data breaches and cyberattacks from those who see its value. This raises concerns about how companies handle your sensitive info. Regulators are pushing for new laws to protect consumer data, and you're likely seeking more anonymous ways to stay online.

Differentiating Sensitive and Nonsensitive PII

PII comes in sensitive or nonsensitive forms. Sensitive PII includes legal details like your full name, Social Security number, driver’s license, mailing address, credit card info, passport details, financial records, and medical history—this isn't an exhaustive list.

Companies often anonymize this by encrypting it before sharing, so it's no longer identifiable. For instance, insurance firms mask sensitive PII and only share what's needed for marketing.

Nonsensitive or indirect PII is stuff you can easily find in public sources like phone books, the internet, or corporate directories—think ZIP code, race, gender, date of birth, place of birth, or religion.

These are quasi-identifiers that alone can't pinpoint you, but they're linkable. When combined with other personal info, they can reveal your identity through de-anonymization.

How to Safeguard Personally Identifiable Information

Protecting PII is a big deal for you, companies, and governments. Many countries have adopted data protection laws to guide how companies gather, store, and share your personal info. These often ban collecting sensitive data unless it's necessary.

Regulations demand deleting unneeded data and not sharing it with unreliable sources. Cybercriminals break into systems to steal PII and sell it on underground markets. Take the 2015 IRS breach, where thieves stole over 100,000 taxpayers' PII by using quasi-info from multiple sources to answer verification questions.

Safeguarding PII isn't always just on the service provider—sometimes it's shared with you as the individual.

Common Methods of PII Theft

Thieves often dig through trash for unopened mail to grab your name, address, employment details, banking info, or Social Security number.

Today, the internet is a prime spot for identity theft. Phishing and social engineering use fake websites or emails to trick you into revealing key details like your name, bank accounts, passwords, or SSN. They can also do this via deceptive calls or texts.

Effective Strategies for PII Protection

You can't fully protect yourself, but you can reduce risks by limiting opportunities for theft. Use a locked mailbox or P.O. box to stop mail theft, and remove personal info from junk mail to make it harder for thieves to link names to addresses. Don't carry unnecessary PII like your Social Security card in your wallet.

Online, prevent identity theft by using unique, complex passwords for each account. Encrypt important data, password-protect your devices, and reformat hard drives before selling or donating computers.

Global Perspectives on PII Regulations

What counts as PII varies by location. In the United States, it's defined as anything that distinguishes or traces your identity, like name, SSN, biometrics, alone or with details like birthdate.

In Europe, the GDPR expands this to quasi-identifiers, setting rules for collecting and processing EU residents' info since 2018.

Australia's Privacy Act 1988 regulates personal info handling by government and private entities, with amendments for healthcare identifiers and data breach obligations.

Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act covers commercial use of info that identifies you alone or combined with other data.

Personally Identifiable Information vs. Personal Data

Personal data is broader than PII—it includes your IP address, device IDs, browser cookies, online aliases, or genetic data. Attributes like religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or medical history might be personal data but not always PII.

Major Incidents of PII Breaches

Many companies have had customer PII stolen, leading to huge fines. The largest as of October 2023 was against Didi Global—8.026 billion yuan for breaching China's security laws. Others include Equifax, Amazon, and Meta.

The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal involved collecting 30 million users' profiles without consent via a personality quiz app that also grabbed data from friends and family, exposing over 50 million. They sold it for political consulting, costing Facebook billions in fines and damaging its reputation.

What Qualifies As PII?

The U.S. government defines it as info that distinguishes or traces your identity, like name, SSN, biometrics, alone or with linked details like birthdate or mother's maiden name.

What Is Not PII?

Things like your employer, shared data, or anonymized info aren't classified as PII.

What Is a PII Violation?

These are illegal acts like identity theft fraud, or unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of PII. Failing to report a breach can also be a violation.

What Must You Do When Emailing PII?

Email isn't always secure, so avoid it if possible. If you must, use encryption or secure verification.

What Laws Protect PII?

Federal and state laws like the Federal Trade Commission Act and Privacy Act of 1974 protect PII and punish unauthorized use.

The Bottom Line

PII is any data that identifies you, from name and address to phone number, passport, or SSN. It's a frequent target for identity thieves online, so companies and agencies must secure their databases.