What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) refers to any data that can be used to identify an individual, either directly or indirectly. This includes information such as names, email addresses, identification numbers, IP addresses, and behavioral data.
PII is a critical data classification category and is heavily regulated under frameworks such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Protecting PII is essential for maintaining privacy and trust.
What is PII used for?
PII is used by organizations for business operations such as customer management, analytics, and service delivery. However, it is also a primary target for cyber attacks such as Phishing, Social Engineering, and Data Exfiltration.
Organizations must implement strong Security Controls, including Encryption, Access Control, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP), to protect PII and ensure compliance with Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) requirements.
