📖 What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data that could potentially be used to uniquely identify a specific individual. Examples include Social Security numbers, full names, home addresses, passport numbers, and biometric records.
"Handling PII requires strict adherence to privacy laws. Be prepared for questions on how to securely destroy PII, such as through cross-cut shredding or wiping."
📚 Certification: CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Core 2 (220-1102)
🔑 What are the Key Concepts of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
- ▸ Direct identifiers include unique data like Social Security numbers, while indirect identifiers are pieces of info that can be combined to identify an individual.
- ▸ Secure disposal of physical PII requires cross-cut shredding, whereas digital PII must be handled via secure wiping or physical destruction of storage media.
- ▸ The principle of least privilege ensures that only authorized personnel have access to PII, minimizing the risk of accidental or intentional data leaks.
- ▸ Encryption is essential for protecting PII both at rest on local drives and in transit across networks to prevent unauthorized access by attackers.
🎯 How does Personally Identifiable Information (PII) appear on the 220-1102 Exam?
You may be asked to identify the most secure method for decommissioning a server that stored employee PII, requiring you to choose between formatting, wiping, or physical destruction.
A scenario might describe a technician disposing of printed sensitive documents; you will need to select cross-cut shredding as the appropriate method to ensure the PII is unrecoverable.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between PII and PHI?
PII is a general term for any identifying information. PHI (Protected Health Information) is a specific subset of PII that includes health records and is governed by stricter laws like HIPAA.
Is a username or email address considered PII?
Yes, because they can be used to uniquely identify a person or be linked to other data to reveal a person's identity, making them subject to privacy protections.