As our lives become more and more digitally connected, it becomes easier for hackers to find our information and use it inappropriately. It is important to know the dangers of exposing your personally identifiable information (PII) so you can be careful with how you use your digital devices.
In this article, we will discuss reasons you should avoid exposing your personally identifiable information to the public, the consequences of doing so, and how to protect your PII. But let’s first explain what the term PII means.
What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is data that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity. This can include name, credit card details, birth date, social security number, fingerprints, address, and more. If this information is exposed online by the individual or by a company from which PII was stolen and made public—also known as a data breach—the individual could suffer significant harm due to identity theft or other issues related to exposure of personal information.
When you publish your personally identifiable information on the internet, somebody may use it to access and misuse your private information, such as stealing your identity to gain access to credit cards and bank accounts.
Consequences of exposing your Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Some very serious consequences can come from sharing your PII and it is important to know them so you can protect yourself. Here are some of them:
- Puts your identity at risk
The first, and most obvious consequence of exposing PII is that it puts your identity at risk. If another individual has your name, address, phone number, social security number, or other unique pieces of information, they can use it to steal your identity. This means that they could use your bank accounts, credit cards, and other accounts in your name. They could also try to open up new credit in your name too. They could even destroy your reputation by doing things like getting a loan with your social security number or making purchases you would not make yourself.
Of course, this is only one example, there are plenty of other scenarios where someone could ruin your reputation by stealing your identity.
- Identity theft
Another consequence is that if another individual has your Personally Identifiable Information, they could also use it to commit identity fraud against you. This means they could file a tax return using your information, get utilities or cell phones in your name, open up financial accounts in your name and ruin your credit score, or do any number of things under the pretense of being you without having to prove their true identity because all the information about who you are is already out there.
- Your business might lose customers
If your business has not taken precautions to protect your customers’ information, your business might lose customers because they don’t want their information shared with others. Security breaches happen all the time, and if your company’s information is breached and exposed, there are likely laws protecting consumers from businesses like yours that have exposed their PII. This could lead to hefty fines and reputational damage that would negatively impact your business’s bottom line.
- Puts your financial details at risk
Another consequence of exposing your PII is that your financial information could be used by cyber-criminals. It’s fairly obvious that if you have your financial information out there, it can be compromised and used against you to access your bank accounts, credit cards, and other valuable information.
How to protect your Personally Identifiable Information Information (PII)
Here are ways you can protect your PII:
- Always use secure passwords that include a combination of alphanumeric and symbols. Passphrases are the simplest and the most secure passwords out there. Examples of a passphrase may include “John went to school”, and “I have 5 boxes”.
- Don’t write down your passwords anywhere—not on sticky notes, not in emails, and not on your phone.
- Encrypt all data on your PC and mobile devices. If you can’t do it, you could contact a cybersecurity expert to get it done.
- Identify where your personally identifiable information (PII) is kept; without knowledge of the location of the data that needs to be safeguarded, it is impossible to offer effective security.
- Limit who can access your data. It’s a critical way of protecting the privacy of your information.
Conclusion
There are also plenty of consequences that can come from exposing your PII. Even if the point of doing so is harmless, there’s always a risk of serious repercussions.
You may find yourself on the receiving end of unwanted attention, such as an influx of spam emails or phone calls from telemarketers. You may experience identity theft or fraud, which can result in financial losses and credit score damage.
Even if you don’t suffer harm, you may cause problems for others. So, it’s important to consider both sides of the coin before making any decisions about revealing your PII.
This is a repetition of what is above, harmonize them into one to avoid repetition.
Our Research Analyst: Endurance Igbru