Personally Identifiable Information Leakage: Protect Your PII and Yourself

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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 brazil phone number list important part of your 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 cover it next.

Categories of PII
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.

Common ways PII is stolen
Countries have passed several data protection laws to set guidelines for companies that collect, store, and share customer personal information. Let’s take a look at how to protect your PII. If you are a business owner, you should consider the following steps:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also published some insightful guidelines on how to securely protect and share your PII.

A data breach occurs when someone not authorized by the company accesses a computer system, potentially resulting in sensitive information being obtained.

During our research, we found a study that showed that in 2023. This is one of the biggest concerns for company leaders. There are many reasons why these data breaches occur, such as companies can follow the following practices to protect their data from being leaked:

PII is regulated by many laws and regulations. These laws and regulations ensure that individuals are protected from threats such as impersonation. Some of these federal laws include the Privacy Act, which sets rules for the collection, use, and disclosure of PII by federal agencies. The Act also states that federal agencies must let people know if they can disclose their PII or face penalties if they do not. However, there are some special circumstances and exceptions.

Then there is HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which is the superhero of health records. It requires medical institutions and healthcare providers to keep patient information confidential and not disclose patient health records without consent.

Don't forget the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It's the golden key that people use to dig up government documents. It tells federal agencies, "Unless it's super secret, show me your credentials." So, basically, it's a backstage pass for the public to get government information! However, the FOIA is also a protector of personal privacy, requiring law enforcement agencies to withhold personally identifiable or damaging information.

In 1995, the Data Protection Directive was enacted, but it was later succeeded by the GDPR to protect personal information. Now, any company that processes the personal data of EU citizens, whether based in the EU or elsewhere (yes, even the US!), must abide by the same set of rules. If certain regulations are violated, large fines can be imposed - 4% of annual global revenue or €20 million, whichever is higher. In addition, individuals have the right to complain if they believe their GDPR rights have been violated.

Remember, GDPR is the global sheriff for data privacy, ensuring companies don’t take liberties with people’s personal information. It’s the guardian of your data, protecting the digital world.

For businesses looking to improve their security levels, consider these handy tips:

Identity theft is no joke - it can lead to serious financial problems. Imagine someone using your identity to go on a shopping spree, take out a loan in your name without asking questions, or even engage in illegal activity!

Identity theft and stolen PII can result in phishing emails impersonating or forging your domain name, a common vector for retrieving PII. We recommend setup to ensure your email and domain are secure. There is no safer way to configure and monitor than PowerDMARC! We are a team of domain security experts who specialize in helping you minimize email fraud through identity verification. Contact us today to get your free!

Remember to share as little personal information as possible on the Internet! Be safe online and stay vigilant.