Nope, not that pie.🥧
Nope, not that pi.𝞹
Nope, not that P.I.🕵️♀️
Yep, *that* PII. That's the one.👩🏻💻
Today, on National Pi Day {3/14, get it?}, I'm talking about a different kind of Pi... and that's PII - Personally Identifiable Information.
PII is your Personally Identifiable Information and can be used to steal your identity.
Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is information that can be used to identify you personally.
It’s the key to your personal data.
And we all know it can be stolen...
…and then used to create fake accounts, open credit cards and loans or your identity can literally just be sold to someone who will then turn around and do those things.😬
And this is why you need to stop sharing it with the internet!
What are examples of PII?
> Name
> Address
> Email
> Telephone Number
> Date of Birth
> Driver's License Number
and then there are the *really* important ones like:
> Social Security Number
> Credit Card Numbers
> Passport Number
I have PERSONALLY seen a lot of these on the internet {usually Facebook}, and all it takes is for someone to do a couple of little searches, put a few puzzle pieces together and BOOM💥 your identity is stolen.
So what can you do?
Here are three ways for you to start protecting yourself:
1. Remove your date of birth from Facebook.
2. Do. Not. Use. Public. WiFi.
3. Don't save your credit card information on your phone.
That last one could be great for your budget, too!
If you want to do even more than three things to start protecting your data, grab the free Budget|BFF PII Checklist by requesting access to the Budget|BFF Vault!
Ok, that's my PSA for National Pi{i} Day.
I didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer today, but I have a 16-year background in risk management, and let's just say, I've seen some things.
I'm just looking out for you, bestie.👭
Here’s to protecting your privacy,
Caitlin
Resources:
https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/personally-identifiable-information-PII
