personally identifiable information (PII)
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min read
What is PII (Personally Identifiable Information)?
Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, refers to any data that can be used to identify a specific individual. This can include obvious details like a person’s name or passport number, as well as indirect identifiers such as IP addresses or login credentials when combined with other information.
Why Protecting PII Is Important
PII is often targeted by cybercriminals because it can be used for identity theft, fraud, or social engineering attacks. For organizations, mishandling PII can lead to legal penalties and fines under regulations like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA, loss of customer trust, and reputational damage.
Examples of PII
- Full name
- Home address or email address
- Phone numbers
- Government-issued IDs (passport, driver’s license)
- Financial account details (credit card or bank account numbers)
- Biometric data (fingerprints, facial recognition)
How to Protect PII
- Data minimization: Only collect and store what is necessary
- Encryption: Protect data at rest and in transit
- Access controls: Limit who can view or process PII
- Continuous security testing: Monitor systems for exposure or unauthorized access with vulnerability scanning and penetration testing
- Employee training: Ensure staff understand the sensitivity of PII
How Intruder Helps
Intruder helps safeguard PII by:
- Identifying exposed systems that may store or process PII
- Detecting vulnerabilities that could lead to data leaks
- Continuously monitoring for new risks across cloud and on-premises environments
- Providing clear remediation guidance to close gaps quickly
