What is Personal Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personally identifiable information (PII) is information that, when used alone or with other relevant data, can identify an individual.
Sensitive vs. Non-Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information
Sensitive PII
Personally identifiable information (PII) can be sensitive or non-sensitive.
Sensitive personal information includes legal statistics such as:
- Full name
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Driver’s license
- Mailing address
- Credit card information
- Passport information
- Financial information
- Medical records
Non-Sensitive PII
Non-sensitive or indirect PII is easily accessible from public sources like phonebooks, the Internet, and corporate directories.
Examples of non-sensitive or indirect PII include:
- Zip code
- Race
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Religion
US Department of Labor Definition
The US Department of Labor defines PII as: Any representation of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. Further, PII is defined as information: (i) that directly identifies an individual (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or (ii) by which an agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification. (These data elements may include a combination of gender, race, birth date, geographic indicator, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual is the same as personally identifiable information. This information can be maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.
