Key Points:

• PII, or Personally Identifiable Information, describes data that can identify individuals.
• Protecting PII is crucial for maintaining data privacy, regulatory compliance, and customer trust.
• Organisations can safeguard PII through comprehensive security measures and compliance practices.
• Metomic offers a PII data discovery and redaction solution to streamline PII compliance processes and ensure data protection.

Any data that can identify who a person is can be used to potentially harm them, making Personally Identifying Information (PII) Compliance a crucial part of your security posture.

‍With a cyber attack happening somewhere in the world every 39 seconds, ensuring the security of data, and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) compliance, has never been more important for businesses worldwide.

PII compliance is instrumental in upholding the confidentiality and integrity of personal data, while also ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

What is meant by PII compliance?

PII compliance helps to protect against the unauthorised access and misuse of PII (Personally Identifying Information).

It’s a compliance framework that marries various technologies and processes to protect sensitive data from breaches and ensure regulatory adherence.

Across the globe, various regulations dictate the standards for PII compliance, with prominent examples including GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA.

These regulations impose strict requirements on organisations regarding the collection, processing, and storage of PII.

Adhering to PII compliance standards is crucial for organisations to mitigate the risks of data breaches and uphold customer trust. Notably, in 2023, PII emerged as the most commonly breached record type, accounting for a staggering 52% of all data breaches.

What data is classed as PII?

When it comes to PII, there’s a clear distinction between sensitive and non-sensitive data, with each requiring different levels of protection.

1. Sensitive Data

Sensitive PII encompasses information that, if exposed, could lead to significant harm or exploitation of individuals.

This includes data such as:

• Social Security numbers
• Financial records
• Medical information
• Biometric data

Due to its nature, sensitive PII demands comprehensive protection measures (e.g. data masking, encryptions, and access controls) to prevent unauthorised access and breaches.

2. Non-Sensitive Data

On the other hand, non-sensitive PII refers to information that may be readily available or seemingly innocuous, such as:

• Names
• Addresses
• Phone numbers.

While individually less critical, the danger comes when non-sensitive PII is combined with other data (e.g. a name and address getting combined SSNs or medical records).

Breaches involving customer PII, such as names and Social Security Numbers, incurred significant costs for organisations in 2023, averaging $183 per record breached, highlighting the tangible financial impact of failing to adequately protect sensitive data.

How can organisations protect PII?

The protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) has become a critical issue for businesses and governmental bodies alike. With the exponential growth of data generation, sharing, and storage, the risk of exposing sensitive information is ever-present.

To combat this, security leaders are adopting comprehensive, multi-layered approaches to safeguard this vital information.

Here are five essential tips for protecting PII in digital environments:

1. Prioritise Data Encryption

Data encryption should be the cornerstone of your data protection strategy. By encrypting data both at rest and in transit, you ensure that it remains unreadable to unauthorised users. This is crucial, especially when storing data in cloud services like Google Drive or transmitting it over networks. According to a report by the Ponemon Institute, encryption can reduce the average cost of a data breach by $360,000. Ensuring that your data is always encrypted provides a robust first line of defence against breaches.

2. Anonymise PII with Data Masking

Data masking involves obfuscating PII with scrambled, yet functionally equivalent data. This method allows businesses to use the data without exposing sensitive information. For example, customer service representatives might need access to customer data, but not necessarily the real PII. By using masked data, organisations can perform necessary functions while significantly reducing the risk of a breach.

3. Implement Stringent Access Controls

Access controls, or Identity and Access Management (IAM), are vital in ensuring that only authorised personnel have access to critical data. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) limits data access based on job roles, ensuring that employees only access information necessary for their tasks. This minimises the risk of unauthorised access to PII. According to iWatchdog, 60% of data breaches are linked to insiders, emphasising the need for effective access controls.

4. Identify Key Risks in Your Digital Environment

The adoption of SaaS and AI productivity tools has expanded the threat surface, making it easier for security breaches to occur. Risks can stem from employee errors, insider threats, or forgotten stale data in drives. A recent study by Metomic found that 86% of files in Google Drive had not been accessed in over 90 days, highlighting poor data management. Implementing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools to monitor, detect, and block potential breaches is critical. These tools help identify and mitigate risks before they become significant issues.

5. Educate and Empower Your Workforce

Despite advances in technology, 95% of data breaches are down to human error, according to IBM’s most recent Cost of a Data Breach Report. Therefore, continuous education and training on data security best practices are imperative. Regular phishing simulations and real-time alerts can help employees recognise risky behaviours and make informed decisions. Empowering your workforce with the knowledge and tools to handle PII responsibly can significantly reduce the risk of breaches.

Data breaches are increasingly common and costly, with the average breach costing $4.43 million, according to IBM. For businesses handling sensitive personal data, adopting a multi-layered security approach is not optional—it's essential. By prioritising encryption, utilising data masking, implementing robust access controls, identifying key risks, and educating employees, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches.

For those committed to safeguarding their data, these practices are not just recommended—they are crucial. Ensuring the safety and integrity of your most critical data protects not only your business but also the individuals whose information you are entrusted with.

Using third party tools to protect data

The adoption of data security tools and technologies is also essential in fortifying PII protection efforts. Solutions such as PII data discovery software and data loss prevention (DLP) tools help monitor and control data movement, preventing unauthorised access and leakage.

Similarly, Identity and Access Management (IAM) practices ensure that only authorised individuals have access to PII, reducing the likelihood of data breaches.

As well as tools, employee training and awareness also play a pivotal role in PII protection. According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, a staggering 68% of breaches are attributed to the human element, including staff members, contractors, or partners, with no ill intent.

📋Checklist: How be achieve PII compliance

With the global average cost of a data breach reaching $4.45 million as of 2023, it’s clear that not being careful with sensitive data can be expensive. Achieving compliance with PII regulations requires meticulous planning and implementation of strict protocols.

Organisations should follow this comprehensive checklist to ensure adherence to PII compliance standards and mitigate the risk of data breaches:

1. Identifying and classifying PII data

‍Begin by identifying all PII within your organisation's systems, including sensitive and non-sensitive data. Classify PII based on its level of sensitivity and potential impact in the event of a breach.

2. Developing and implementing a PII compliance policy

Establish a clear and concise PII compliance policy that outlines guidelines for handling and protecting sensitive information. Define roles and responsibilities, data handling procedures, and protocols for incident response and breach notification.

3. Strengthening data security measures and access controls

Implement robust data security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and data masking, to safeguard PII against unauthorised access or disclosure. Regularly review and update access controls to ensure only authorised personnel have access to sensitive data.

4. Implementing proactive monitoring and incident response protocols

Deploy proactive monitoring tools and technologies to detect and respond to potential security threats in real-time. Develop incident response protocols to swiftly address and mitigate the impact of security incidents or data breaches.

5. Conducting regular compliance assessments and updates to policies

Regularly assess your organisation's PII compliance posture through audits and evaluations. Update policies and procedures to reflect changes in regulations, emerging threats, and evolving business requirements.

🔒How can Metomic help your organisation become PII compliant?

Metomic’s data security platform offers innovative solutions designed to simplify PII compliance processes, and enhance data protection within your organisation.

By integrating Metomic into your workflows, you can streamline PII compliance efforts and reduce regulatory risks effectively.

We can help with:

1. Automated data discovery: Metomic offers an automated workflow to discover and control sensitive data. This system can tag data automatically, identify common patterns that indicate potential risks, and generate alerts for unusual or suspicious behaviours. By automatically scanning and analysing data repositories, Metomic helps you gain visibility into sensitive information, facilitating compliance with regulatory requirements.
2. Policy enforcement: Metomic empowers organisations to enforce PII compliance policies consistently. With these policy enforcement capabilities, you can define and implement rules for data handling, access controls, and consent management. This ensures that PII is managed in accordance with regulatory standards and internal policies.
3. Compliance reporting: Metomic provides comprehensive compliance reporting tools, allowing organisations to generate detailed reports on their PII compliance posture. From audit trails to regulatory assessments, Metomic enables you to demonstrate compliance to stakeholders, regulators, and customers effectively.

By leveraging Metomic's features and capabilities, organisations can enhance their PII compliance efforts, mitigate regulatory risks, and safeguard sensitive data with confidence.

Getting started with Metomic

Bringing Metomic into your organisation is straightforward and designed to enhance security, simplify compliance, and ease the burden on IT and security teams.

Here’s how to get started:

• Assess your risks – Use Metomic’s free data security tools to review your current security setup and identify any weak spots. This helps you understand where your biggest risks are and what needs improvement.
• Book a demo – See Metomic in action and book a personalised demo. Our team will walk you through key features, show you how it works, and explain how it can help protect your data while keeping compliance simple.
• Speak to an expert – Have questions or specific requirements? Get in touch. Our team will help you integrate Metomic smoothly and make sure your security setup is as strong as it needs to be.