Examples of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Some examples of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) include your phone number, email address, license plate number, birth date, Social Security number (SSN) and medical records. Many aspects of your identity can be considered PII, so it’s important to understand what they are and how to protect them.

Continue reading to learn how you can protect your PII from falling into the wrong hands and how Keeper^® can help.

What is PII?

PII is data that can uniquely identify you. This kind of information is required to open lines of credit and confirm you are who you say you are. There are two main types of PII: non-sensitive and sensitive. Non-sensitive PII (also known as indirect PII) is information that someone could find publicly. It is associated with your identity but cannot be used to identify you without additional information. Sensitive PII (also known as direct PII) can confirm your identity by itself and is not publicly available. Unlike non-sensitive PII, sensitive PII should be kept confidential unless an individual or business has a legitimate need for it.

Examples of PII

Here are some examples of non-sensitive and sensitive PII:

Most non-sensitive PII is harmless by itself. For example, while you’re driving, anyone can see your license plate number. However, if someone with malicious intent wanted to find out more about you and steal your identity, they could use non-sensitive PII to lead them to more sensitive PII. When your PII is compromised, a cybercriminal could use this data to impersonate you and commit fraud, or they could sell your PII on the dark web for others to do the same.

How can I protect my personally identifiable information?

To protect your PII, there are several simple things you can do.

Use strong passwords for every account

Make sure each of your accounts has a strong and unique password. A strong password consists of at least 16 characters, with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Having a strong password means it should be both long and complex and should not contain any personal information like your pet’s name or birth date. It’s important to create a unique password for each of your accounts because if a single password is compromised and reused on multiple accounts, a cybercriminal could use it to access more of your private information.

Always enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an additional security measure that requires anyone trying to access your account – including you – to provide your username, password and one more additional form of authentication to log in. Some examples of MFA include a PIN, an answer to a security question, a code from an authenticator app or a fingerprint scan. Without your MFA, a cybercriminal will not be able to access an account with MFA enabled, even if they know your username and password.

Never respond to unsolicited requests for personal information

If anyone ever asks you for your personal information through an unsolicited email, text or phone call, do not respond. Unsolicited requests for personal information are signs that you are the target of a phishing attack, which occurs when a cybercriminal tricks you into sharing sensitive information with them by impersonating someone you trust.

For example, imagine you receive an email from someone claiming to work at your bank. The message urges you to respond quickly with your credit card number and bank account information to prevent your account from closing. A cybercriminal will use urgent language and threats in their phishing messages, which should clearly reveal their fake identity. Also, note that a bank or company will typically not reach out to you regarding your personal information unless you have contacted them first.

Securely store your sensitive information

Your sensitive PII must remain confidential, and it is essential to securely store your sensitive PII, whether it’s digital or physical. Digital PII, like a credit card number or driver’s license number, should be stored in a password manager like Keeper. When you use Keeper Password Manager, you can create a record and store files, documents and images. For example, if you have medical records that you want to encrypt, you can import those into Keeper Password Manager to protect them.

Physical PII, like your passport or Social Security card, should be kept in a safe or in a place where no one else can access it. You should avoid placing these items in an unlocked drawer or under your mattress because if your house is ever robbed, these are the first places a thief might look to steal money or other valuables.

Don’t share sensitive information using insecure methods

It may be easy to text a family member a picture of your driver’s license or email an employer a copy of your passport. However, these are very insecure methods of sharing sensitive information because you risk a cybercriminal intercepting these messages. If you ever have to share your sensitive information, make sure you do it using a secure method. The safest way to send PII is by using software with zero-knowledge encryption. Zero-knowledge encryption is a security framework that encrypts and decrypts any data on your device so that even a company’s servers cannot access your private information. Keeper Password Manager not only uses zero-knowledge encryption but also allows you to share sensitive information, enabling you to safely store and send your important passwords or documents to whoever needs them.

Stay aware of the latest data breaches

One of the best ways to protect your PII is by staying up to date on the latest data breaches. Since your PII can be leaked in a public data breach, it’s important to be aware of recent data breaches to determine if your PII was compromised. Staying informed about the newest data breaches can help you secure your PII before someone uses it to commit fraud or steal your identity. Another way to stay informed about the latest data breaches and other cyber attacks is by following cybersecurity blogs and websites. On these sites, you can read about current news and events, hacking techniques, technological advancements, security vulnerabilities and more.

How Keeper helps secure your PII

With the help of a secure password management system, you can keep your PII safe. Keeper Password Manager protects your PII by helping you create strong passwords for all your accounts, storing MFA codes in each record and allowing you to securely share sensitive information.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to enhance the security of your most sensitive information.