Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is information that uniquely identifies a person.

If it can cause harm when exposed, it’s sensitive PII. Some PII, like a national identification number (such as your social security number) or biometric identifier (like a fingerprint), is always sensitive PII.

Other information is sensitive PII when combined with a person’s name, or other unique identifier (phone number or address). Examples include: driver’s license number, passport number, full credit card number, financial account numbers, birthdate and birth place, and/or citizen or immigration status.

Confidential Information (CI) is sensitive corporate information that, if exposed, can damage a company, either directly (attack or financial loss) or indirectly (loss of reputation or criminal charges.) You should protect the following: business information (trade secrets, contracts, acquisitions), financial records, contracts, credit cards, marketing and sales (strategies, customer lists, plans, pricing), operational data (physical plant details, network architecture), technical information (specifications, documentation, source code, prototypes), and reports (internal, research and analyst).

Are you doing what you can to protect your identity and your workplace? Are you giving personal information over the phone or to unsolicited people who come to your door? At work, are you leaving your computer on when you are not there to monitor who is around it? Are your leaving important documents open on the computer or lying in the open on your desk?

Michigan Compiled Laws 445.65 and 445.69 states that (suspect) did,

• (1) (a) with intent to defraud or violate the law, use or attempt to use the personal identifying information of 1)(Name person whose identifying information was used ) to obtain (describe items, services, employment, etc. obtained) or 2) commit (describe unlawful act)

• (b) by concealing, withholding, or misrepresenting his or her identity, use or attempt to use the personal identifying information of 1)(Name person whose identifying information was used ) to obtain (describe items, services, employment, etc. obtained) or 2) commit (describe unlawful act). This is a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and or $25,000 fine.

 

Rob Herbstreith is a trooper with the Michigan State Police. Email questions and comments to TrooperRob53@Yahoo.com.