Personally Identifiable Information and Identify Theft

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION AND IDENTITY THEFT

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION AND IDENTIFY THEFT

Today’s internet culture has improved the speed of finding information; however, it has also increased the amount of crime. In the wrong hands personally information (PII) such as credit card numbers, and social security numbers, may be used with malicious intent. Data breaches and hacking can potentially cause grave damage to an individual’s finances or reputation. Identify theft is an immense concern because in order to repair the damage it causes help is required from an outside source. Agencies, that collect PII, are responsible for protecting it, although education is key for individuals wishing to protect their privacy. In order to safeguard PII against phishing, identity theft, and other forms of attack, users should always remain vigilant and practice self-preservation.

Personally identifiable information is any data that can potentially identify a specific individual. Examples, of PII, include:

* Full name

* Home address

* Email address

* Social Security Number (SSN)

* Passport number

* IP address

* Date of birth

* Place of birth

* Credit card numbers

* Telephone number

* Maiden names

* Marital status

* Medical information

* Education information

By obtaining enough PII; an identity thief may pose as a specific individual and steal their credentials (Blair, 2014). Phishing is the act of using various communication devices such as e-mail and telephones in an attempt to trick individuals into revealing personal information, including passwords and social security numbers, or installing malicious software (malware) (Cooper, 2015).

Through the use of stolen PII; identity thieves steal money from the bank accounts of their victims, and open new bank accounts and other lines of credit. Copyrighted company logos are oft times included in these emails in order to make them appear...