PII Examples

Cole PrudenPersonal Data, PII, PII Examples

Below you’ll find a list of made up PII examples to help you better understand what PII looks like in the real world.

You’ll also find a downloadable file attached to each point with specified (fake) PII examples you can then use to test your discovery solution. Enjoy.

PII includes, but is not limited to:

    • Personal identification numbers: Social security number (SSN), passport number, driver’s license number, taxpayer identification number, patient identification number, financial account number, or credit card number.
    • Personal characteristics: Photographic images (particularly of the face or other identifying characteristics), fingerprints, or handwriting.

Examples of Non-PII

Although this list includes the main direct forms of PII, it’s important to remember that other “regular” pieces of information can become PII when combined together. Two prominent examples of this can be seen in financial information and health-related information.

    • Financial information: data about the monetary transactions of a person or business, i.e., bank account numbers, fiscal income data, payments, money transfers, etc.
    • Health-related information: data related to a person’s medical history, including symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes.

To find out more about why this information is not yet considered PII, as well as how it can become PII, check out our deep-dive article on the subject: PII Examples For Dummies.

Real-World Application

And that’s all there is to it! Now, armed with this information, you can better recognize PII anywhere you go.

Plus, all of the applicable examples provided in each bullet point, as well as other helpful forms of PII, can be downloaded in their entirety here: pii-examples.zip. You can then implement these examples in your own discovery solution and see just how good it really is.

Don’t Have a Discovery Solution Yet? Then Discover All the PII Listed Above with PII Tools!