If you’re responsible for an organization’s data security, it is essential to understand the difference between personal data and sensitive data. It will help ensure that you comply with all relevant laws and regulations. Sensitive information includes data on a person’s race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union memberships, and data relating to health and sex life. Usually, this kind of data must be handled more securely than other types.
What is Sensitive Data?
Sensitive data is personal information that can be used to identify a person or organization. It can be used maliciously to target people or perform identity theft in the wrong hands.
Sensitive data can include names, addresses, social security numbers, bank account information, and other data linked to an individual. The information can include medical information, a criminal record, or even an employee’s political affiliation. Regardless of the type of sensitive data an organization holds, it must be careful to store it securely. If a data breach happens, it can cause serious harm to individuals and disrupt operations.
Organizations must constantly re-evaluate their security measures and ensure they are current with the latest regulations and tools like data loss prevention software. Some of these regulations include GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
- The first step to identifying sensitive data is to group it into groups based on its sensitivity. Both manually and with the aid of AI-powered data discovery technologies are options.
- The second step is to classify and tag the data based on sensitivity. It will facilitate data retrieval from your system and safeguard it from illegal access or usage.
In addition, it will help ensure that the right people have access to the information.
What is Personal Data?
Personal data may be used to identify a living individual. It may be as simple as a name or as complex as DNA, fingerprints, or even something seemingly random as a location someone has visited over the years. Personal information is a fundamental concept for businesses. They get a competitive advantage and increase their market appeal as a result. But it’s also a term that can confuse. Depending on which privacy law you’re working under, the terms “personal data” and “sensitive personal data” can mean different things.
Sensitive data can include information like a person’s ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health, or even whether they are part of a labor union. It is considered more sensitive personal data, and you should only process it for specific lawful reasons.
If you need clarification about what types of personal data you are processing, it’s best to speak with a private lawyer to help you decide how to proceed. Generally speaking, if you’re processing personal data to fulfill a contract or to save someone from harm, you’re legally allowed to do so. But every jurisdiction will have its rules, so it’s a good idea to ensure you understand them before collecting personal information.
What is PII?
Personal information, also called PII or personally identifiable data, is any information that can be used to identify an individual. It includes everything from a person’s full name and address to their bank account numbers and passwords, and it is protected by various privacy laws and regulations worldwide.
PII is necessary to watch because it can be used to commit identity theft, expose people to identity fraud or blackmail, or even cause harm to the organization that is collecting it. Fortunately, businesses can limit this risk by tokenizing or pseudonymizing PII. For example, an employee’s first and last name could be considered sensitive data because it is directly tied to a person’s identity. However, the same employee’s phone number and email address found in a public database would not be considered PII.
A different type of data, called non-sensitive PII, is general information that can be used to identify an individual but does not necessarily have to be linked to them. This information can be found in databases and combined with other data sets to reveal an individual’s identity. Many have become victims of identity theft or other attacks that exploit a person’s PII. These attacks can occur through email, social media, or telephone calls. They can also be carried out through deceptive websites or emails designed to trick people into giving up their PII.
What is PHI?
Personal Health Information (PHI) is any information linked to an individual, including medical records and conversations with healthcare professionals. It is protected by laws that govern healthcare providers, health insurance companies, and the companies they work with to ensure that patient information stays private. PHI can be stored in many different ways and formats. It includes paper-based forms and electronic data. HIPAA ensures that PHI stays secure and can’t be shared outside the healthcare system without written permission from patients.
The most common example of PHI is an individual’s medical record, which includes their past and present conditions and treatment and diagnosis records. It also contains billing and insurance information. While PHI is essential to healthcare, it can be used for identity theft and other reasons. It is necessary to know what PHI is and how it is protected.
Under HIPAA, covered entities and business associates must follow specific security and privacy rules to protect PHI. These organizations include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. These organizations include doctors, clinics, dentists, ophthalmologists, psychologists, nursing homes, pharmacies, hospitals, and other specialty medical services. Others are company health plans, HMOs, and Medicare & Medicaid. Schools and employers can also fall under this category if they handle PHI to enroll their employees in a health plan.
