In the United States, the PII is commonly used in privacy laws and security guidelines, such as those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), while personal data has a legal definition under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and has a broader scope.
Let’s break them down in a simple, practical way.
What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
PII refers to any data that can directly or indirectly identify an individual. It is a central concept in U.S. privacy laws and is often used in cybersecurity and compliance regulations. The level of protection required depends on the sensitivity of the information – more sensitive data demands stricter security measures.
Common examples of PII:
Full name
Social Security number (SSN)
Driver’s license or passport number
Home address
Email address
Financial account information
Phone numbers
Sensitive and non-sensitive PII
Sensitive PII: Includes information like SSNs, financial records, and biometric data. If exposed, it could lead to serious harm, such as identity theft.
Non-sensitive PII: Includes public records, such as a phone book listing, that may identify a person but pose a lower risk.
What is not PII (Non-PII)?
Not all data that organizations collect are considered Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Some information, while still useful, doesn’t directly or indirectly identify an individual. This is known as Non-PII.
Examples:
Aggregated data: Statistics like “30% of our users prefer online shopping over in-store.”
Anonymized data: Information that has been stripped of identifiable details, like survey results without names or email addresses.
General demographics: Data such as city populations, industry trends, or weather reports.
Device or system data: Technical information like browser type, operating system, or internet speed (unless linked to an individual).
What is personal data?
Personal Data is widely used in global privacy laws, particularly under the GDPR. Unlike PII, Personal Data covers a broader range of information, including both direct and indirect identifiers.
Examples of personal data:
Name, date of birth, and address
Online identifiers (IP addresses, cookies)
Biometric and genetic data
Geolocation data
Pseudonymized data (if it can still be linked back to a person)
Direct and indirect identifiers
When it comes to personal data, not all information identifies someone in the same way. Some data points are obvious giveaways, while others need to be combined with additional details to pinpoint an individual. That’s where direct and indirect identifiers come into play.
Direct identifiers: Clearly distinguish a person (e.g., full name, passport number).
Indirect identifiers: Require additional information to identify someone (e.g., IP address, behavioral data).
For more details, go to theGDPR Official Website.
Differences between PII and personal data
Definition:
PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is a U.S.-centric term that refers to direct identifiers, like Social Security numbers or passport details.
Personal Data, as defined under GDPR, has a broader scope, covering both direct and indirect identifiers (like IP addresses and online tracking data).
Legal context:
PII is commonly used in U.S. privacy laws (such as the NIST Privacy Framework).
Personal data falls under global regulations like GDPR (Europe)
Scope:
PII is more narrowly focused on uniquely identifying information
Personal Data includes anything that can be linked to an individual, even if it requires additional data points.
Security & compliance:
While both require strong security measures, GDPR imposes stricter protections for Personal Data, including clear consent requirements, the right to be forgotten, and heavy fines for non-compliance.
Why it’s important to protect PII and personal data
Data is worth a lot to cybercriminals, and failing to safeguard it leaves organizations open to costly attacks. When information falls into the wrong hands, individuals can face serious consequences like identity theft or fraud. Businesses that collect personal information have a duty to protect it, or they risk steep regulatory fines and a loss of public trust.
The consequences of data breaches
Identity theft: Criminals can use stolen personal information to commit fraud, impersonate others, or engage in other illegal actions.
Regulatory fines: Failing to follow data protection laws like the GDPR can lead to severe financial penalties.
Loss of trust: Customers depend on businesses to keep their information safe. A data breach can make customers lose trust in a company, and sometimes that trust is gone for good.
According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach hit an all-time high of $4.88 million in 2024. So, protecting PII and personal data is more than a legal requirement, it’s a critical step in keeping both individuals and organizations safe.
Wrapping up
It’s important to know the difference between PII and personal data so you can stay compliant with regulations, keep information secure, and build trust. In the United States, they usually talk about PII, but around the world, the term “personal data” often comes up in laws like the GDPR, which covers more ground.
Further reading
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