Your full name and social security number are significant personally identifiable information examples cyber thieves can gain access to over the web. Protecting PII (personally identifiable information) is a top priority for government agencies, businesses, and consumers, after a rise in data breaches international. Before the internet, consumers and companies experienced identity theft when discarding confidential documents in the trash or by stolen mail.
While governments and businesses must safeguard individuals’ data, we should take the necessary steps to protect our personal information. In cyber security, collectively, we can fight against identity crimes for PII protection. Understanding what is pii in cyber security is essential to help prevent cybercrimes.
Identity theft protection technology, for example, can be an additional measure to protect you from criminal activities online. Internet users need more protection when their pii is used to violate privacy and data breaches.
Ways Thieves can Steal Your Information
Thieves are crafty and use different tactics to gain access to your information. Suppose you are contacting a business by phone and need to provide your data bystanders can record your entire conversation or memorize your information. It is why you must be observant of those in your immediate environment.
Documents and expired credit or debit cards are subject to misuse when not shredded before putting in the dumpster or garbage can. Criminals will go through your trash searching for whatever information they can find about you. Make sure you cut up all unused cards and shred documents containing your PII. Avoid using public Wi-Fi when accessing apps requiring your passwords. Wi-Fi does not use encryption security for protecting internet users from hacking and security crimes.
What is pii in cyber security?
Personally identifiable information examples include:
- First, Middle & Last Names
- Home Address
- Employee’s Information
- Social Security Number
- Email Address
- Bank Account Information
- Passwords
- Birth Date
- Ethnicity/Race
- Gender
- Security Questions and Answers
Individuals’ PII is data requested and collected by governments, financial institutions, credit bureaus, social media, and corporations. Loss and misuse of confidential information can result from internal organizational abuse or cyber-criminal activities. In 2017, a FICO Survey showed that 44 percent of American consumers are concerned about identity theft and bank fraud. Twenty-two percent of participants admitted to having concerns about data protection after loved ones or they pass away.
As we have seen in recent years, ppi in cyber security is subject to privacy violations; among the largest companies, such as Facebook. Companies and individuals must do their part in protecting the information of consumers and themselves. For individuals, you can protect your PII by doing the following:
- Keeping your personal information, including Social Security Number and other important information, in a safe or secured file cabinet.
- Limiting the information you share on social media, such as your security questions and passwords.
- Shredding important paper documents before throwing in the trash.
- Never providing your social security number to scammers when they call your mobile smartphone or home phone.
- Avoid giving out your personal information when outsiders are near you and can hear what you are saying.
- Being observant of people watching over your shoulder when filling out paperwork at financial institutions or commercial businesses.
Consumers’ and employees’ pii is used to forging online criminal activities and in organizations, often by cybercriminals and thieves. While the federal government and corporations are using security IT (information technology) to protect personally identifiable information, you can do your part. One way consumers can increase security protection, for example, is by obtaining identity theft protection. Such technology can detect and alert you when there are suspicious activities. While cybercrimes and physical crimes of identity theft are inevitable, you can take the appropriate measures to safeguard your PII.
