Last Updated on September 16, 2022
PII, or personally identifiable information, is any data or information that relates to an identifiable individual. Oftentimes, it is required to use online services and transactions. It can be used to trace a person’s identity or distinguish them from other individuals. But when does personal information often need to be entered online? Here are some of the most common reasons. Read on to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of putting PII online.
Personal information includes any data that can be used to identify a person. The list of protected categories includes: race, gender, date of birth, address, social security number, credit card number, bank account number, and ZIP code. In addition to these, PII may include biometric data, such as fingerprints or handwriting. Depending on the situation, these categories may be combined with other types of information.
Protecting PII is important for personal privacy and data protection. Without protecting it, thieves can easily create fake accounts in people’s names or falsify passports and sell their identities. PII is also vital in protecting online security because it is increasingly being collected and stored every day. Facial recognition systems and fingerprints are examples of biometric data. Without this information, a hacker could access people’s medical records, credit score, and other sensitive information.
PII can be classified into two types: direct and indirect. Directly identifying information includes a person’s full name and date of birth; indirect PII includes information that can be linked to a person. This information can be stored electronically or in paper format. It also includes information that can be used to contact a person physically. It is important to understand which types of information are PII and what types are considered non-PII.
Sensitive PII is information that could cause harm to an individual, such as a credit card number or an identity holder. It could result in embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness for the person. For example, a social security number may include a person’s date of birth, his or her mother’s maiden name, and health care information. Similarly, a social security number can contain a person’s criminal history, medical history, and even bank account numbers. Essentially, this type of PII should be encrypted during transit and at rest.
PII is difficult to categorize because of the many ways that PII is linked. A user’s Social Security number, for example, can be used to impersonate another person, or a credit card number can be used to make unauthorized purchases. In addition to personal information, PII is also easily stolen by criminals. Unless the victim has taken appropriate steps to protect PII, a criminal may use the information to open new accounts.
PII also includes email addresses, selected usernames and passwords for online services. These pieces of information are usually required to be entered online, and should be encrypted. The information should not be shared with third parties or stored in public databases. PII is collected by a website, including email. The information is collected using cookies, and these are often stored in encrypted and password-protected forms.
It can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity
Personal identification information is often collected from individuals and their activities. PII consists of identifying an individual based on certain data elements or a combination of data elements. A person’s name is a common strong identifier. MAC addresses are also classified as PII. They are used to identify an individual by using the device’s unique MAC address. The government has adopted privacy laws to protect PII.
Personally identifiable information includes information that relates to an individual. It can include a person’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and biometric data. The information can be linked to another piece of information, such as an individual’s name, address, or other information. The information can also be combined with other information to establish an individual’s identity. However, if this information is not protected, it may be misused or leaked.
Personal data may be used to distinguish or trace an individual’ s identity. It can also be combined with other identifying information in order to link an individual to a specific person. For example, a person may store a name of a colour as their favorite colour. This information, however, is PII. If it is stored as “favourite color”, the data will be linked to that person.
About The Author
Pat Rowse is a thinker. He loves delving into Twitter to find the latest scholarly debates and then analyzing them from every possible perspective. He's an introvert who really enjoys spending time alone reading about history and influential people. Pat also has a deep love of the internet and all things digital; she considers himself an amateur internet maven. When he's not buried in a book or online, he can be found hardcore analyzing anything and everything that comes his way.