Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

What is PII?

Personally Identifiable Information is any data that can be linked to a specific person—like names, email addresses, or Social Security numbers. On its own or combined with other details, PII can expose someone’s identity.

Protecting PII isn’t just good practice—it’s required. It helps prevent identity theft, builds trust, and keeps your organization aligned with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.

What’s the difference between PII and personal data?

In the U.S., Personally Identifiable Information refers to data that can directly or indirectly identify someone—like a name, Social Security number, or biometric record.

Globally, privacy laws like the GDPR use the broader term personal data. That includes PII, but also extends to online identifiers, location data, and behavioral patterns.

The bottom line: All PII is personal data, but not all personal data qualifies as PII.

Types of PII

Not all PII carries the same level of risk. It’s often grouped by sensitivity and how easily it can be used to identify someone. Understanding the difference helps teams prioritize protection.

1. Sensitive PII

This is high-risk data—if exposed, it could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or serious privacy breaches. It often requires stronger security controls and tighter access policies.

Examples include:

• Social Security numbers
• Driver’s license or passport numbers
• Financial account details
• Biometric data
• Medical records

2. Non-sensitive (or indirect) PII

This data may not identify someone on its own—but when combined with other information, it can. It still requires protection, especially when linked to behavioral data or accessed at scale.

Examples include:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• ZIP code
• IP address

Why PII type matters:

Sensitive PII often falls under stricter regulatory requirements (like HIPAA or GLBA in the U.S.) and may require encryption, access controls, and incident response planning. Non-sensitive PII still matters—especially when attackers use it to build detailed profiles or as entry points for phishing or social engineering.

What should you do if PII gets exposed?

When PII is exposed, speed and clarity matter.

Whether it’s the result of an external attack, accidental exposure, or insider misuse, any compromise of Personally Identifiable Information requires a rapid, coordinated response. Here’s a typically response scenario:

1. Contain and assess the breach

Quickly isolate affected systems and determine what was accessed, how it happened, and who’s impacted.

2. Notify stakeholders and authorities

If required by law, like under GDPR’s 72-hour rule, inform regulators and individuals at risk. Transparency builds trust.

3. Remediate and recover

Fix the vulnerabilities, reset credentials, and provide affected individuals with appropriate support (like credit monitoring).

4. Investigate and document

Understand the root cause and document the full timeline for legal, regulatory, and internal review.

5. Strengthen your security posture

Update your policies, train your teams, and refine your incident response playbooks. Here are some matters to consider based on the type of PII breach: 

Finally, the goal isn’t just recovery—it’s resilience. With the right tools in place, you can turn a reactive process into a proactive advantage.