PII
Personal Identifiable Information
Geek Speak:
Any information that reflects or ties back to individuals. I.e., personal addresses, Social Security numbers, bank accounts, etc.
Plain English:
What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is any information that can be used to identify a specific person.
This includes things like:
Full name
Home address
Email address
Phone number
Social Security number
Date of birth
Driver’s license or passport number
If it can be traced back to you, it’s considered PII.
Protecting PII is critical because if this information falls into the wrong hands — like in a data breach — it can lead to identity theft, fraud, or other serious privacy risks.
Businesses that collect or store PII have a legal and ethical responsibility to keep it secure and handle it carefully.