For years, HIPAA compliance has largely centered around policies, procedures, and periodic risk assessments. But as ransomware attacks, data breaches, and third-party security incidents continue to rise across the healthcare sector, regulators are pushing for stronger and more prescriptive cybersecurity requirements. The upcoming HIPAA Security Rule update represents one of the most significant changes to healthcare data protection in years. … Read More
CMMC & DFARS Compliance: Air-Gapped PII Discovery
For US government contractors, data security is no longer just an operational preference. Under frameworks like the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), DFARS, and FISMA, protecting sensitive information has become a direct requirement for participating in the federal supply chain. Source: DoD CIO As the Department of Defense (DoD) continues rolling out mandatory CMMC requirements, the expectations around handling Controlled … Read More
Preparing for a PII Audit: What You Need Before an Assessment
Millions of companies suffer data breaches, ransomware, and regulatory fines every year. Don’t let it happen to you. Protect your company with a PII audit – but are you ready? This is everything you need to know to actually feel prepared. What is a PII Audit Let’s start from square one: What exactly is a PII audit? PII stands for … Read More
HIPAA Compliance Explained: Full Guide + PII Examples
For many readers, when they hear the words “the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)”, their eyelids immediately start to droop. But I’m sure getting slapped with an annual $1.5 million fine would wake them up! Whether you’re the one handling the data or the actual patient looking to protect your rights, now’s the time to become a HIPAA … Read More
HIPAA Compliance 2026: PHI Discovery & OCR Tools
For years, HIPAA compliance was straightforward: protect the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, and you protect the organization. In 2026 and beyond, that approach no longer works. The real risk has shifted to the messy, unstructured “Dark Data” surrounding the EHR. Protected Health Information (PHI) now leaks into email attachments, billing exports, shared drives, and increasingly, AI workflows. In the … Read More
Global University Data Breach: 230+ Million People Affected
On May 7, 2026, students from over 9000 universities around the world received the terrifying news: Your sensitive information is included in a large-scale data breach, and the ransom is due in just 5 days! Massive Ransomware Strike This is the frightening reality for more than 231 million people right now. MIT, The University of Toronto, Penn State University, and … Read More
Multi-State US Data Privacy Compliance
One Tool for HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CCPA & 20+ State Laws In Europe, the GDPR created a unified framework for data privacy. In the United States, the opposite is true: a rapidly expanding patchwork of state-level regulations with no federal equivalent. By 2026, over 20 US states will have enacted their own unique privacy laws. For US firms, this means “compliance” … Read More
GDPR Compliance Checklist for US Companies – Updated
Expanding into the European market is a milestone for any US-based company, but it comes with a significant legal gatekeeper: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As we move through 2026 and beyond, the cost of “learning as you go” has evaporated. With the full integration of the EU AI Act, fines for data and AI violations can now reach … Read More
Automate Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labeling with PII Tools
Adding sensitivity labels to files in Microsoft Purview is a known pain point for many users. The issue is so bad that Microsoft even had to put out a dedicated article describing these “known issues”. That’s why PII Tools now offers Microsoft Purview integration with automatic sensitivity label inclusion. Check it out! Microsoft Purview Problems Having the correct sensitivity label … Read More
PII Dataset Download – US & UK Passport Numbers
US & UK Passport Numbers – Examples Both the United States of America and the United Kingdom provide their citizens with passports with a unique 9-digit number for each person. However, newer passports from both countries may feature both numbers and letters. Use the FREE Download of 1000 Sample US & UK Passport Numbers below to test whether your website … Read More
