In this tutorial, you will learn what is PII in Cyber Security, its types, examples, and more.
Introduction
Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is data that can be used to identify a single person. Examples of PII include name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and phone number. In the context of cyber security, PII is also known as sensitive data. In this blog post, we will answer the question “What is PII in Cyber Security?” and explain why it’s important to secure this data from cyber attackers. Read on to find out more.
What is PII?
PII stands for Personally Identifiable Information. This is information that can be used to identify a single person. PII can be anything from a person’s name, address, birth date, SSN, or even their health information.
PII in cyber security can also include information about a person’s family members, finances, immigration status, ethnicity, religion, education, and employment history. As you can see, PII is a broad term that can cover many different areas. In the context of cyber security, PII is also known as sensitive data.
What is the role of PII in Cyber Security?
PII is a very important category of information in the context of cyber security. The consequences of improperly securing PII are major. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world. If cyber attacker gains access to your PII, they can use it for a variety of malicious purposes.
They can use your PII to open new credit accounts, steal money from your bank account, get a job in your name, or even get health care services in your name. PII can also be used to steal your identity.
If a cyber attacker gets access to your PII, they can use it to impersonate you and log into your various online accounts. If they have access to your email, they can even impersonate you by sending out malicious emails.
Types of PII in Cyber Security
There are many types of PII in Cyber Security, but the most common are:
- Name: This is the most basic form of PII and can identify a person.
- Birth date: A person’s birth date is another form of PII that can be used to identify them.
- Address: A person’s address can be used to identify them in some cases.
- SSN: This is the most important form of PII that can identify you.
- Financial information: A person’s financial information can sometimes be considered PII.
- Health information: A person’s medical information can be considered PII in certain cases.
Examples of PII in Cyber Security
Here are a few examples of PII in Cyber security and how it is used in cyber security:
- Name: Your name can be used to identify you, so it is considered PII.
- Birth date: Your birth date is another example of PII.
- Address: Your address can be used to identify you.
- SSN: Your Social Security number is the most important example of PII in the US.
- Financial information: Bank account numbers, payment amounts, and other financial information can be considered PII in cyber security.
- Health information: A person’s medical treatment and diagnosis can be considered PII.
How to Protect PII from Cyber Attacks?
Ideally, you should not collect PII in the first place. However, if you have to collect it, you must protect it with the highest possible security measures. Before you collect any PII, you must know what you will do with it and how you will use it.
If you don’t have a legitimate reason for collecting PII, you must refrain from collecting it. If you do have a legitimate reason for collecting PII, you must secure it with the highest possible security measures.
This includes storing PII in a secure database with strong authentication mechanisms. If possible, store PII in an encrypted format so that if a cyber attacker breaches your system, they will not be able to access it.
Summary
PII, or personally identifiable information, is data that can be used to identify a single person. Examples of PII include name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and phone number. In the context of cyber security, PII is also known as sensitive data. The consequences of improperly securing PII are major. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world. To protect against PII being stolen, you should not collect it unless you have a legitimate reason to do so. If you have to collect it, store it in a secure database with strong authentication mechanisms.