All Points Mobile Shredding Blog

PII—What is it and why it’s important

Information every individual & business needs to know

PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is an acronym that everyone needs to know and be aware of. Because it’s PII that leads crooks to the information they need to steal your identity or the identity of your customers. And once a thief has obtained someone’s PII, they have all they need to ruin your credit, hack your bank accounts, credit card accounts and much more.

Here are the basics of PII

PII is any information that identifies an individual including the following:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Social security number
  • Date of birth
  • Phone number
  • Driver’s license number
  • Passport number
  • Credit card number
  • Debit card number
  • Email address

What can a crook do with your PII?

In today’s world, any bit of information an unscrupulous person can use against you. And though it may be hard to believe, thieves are constantly on the lookout for ways to breach your privacy, whether via your email accounts, your snail-mail, by hacking into credit card companies, banks, corporate accounts or even by burglarizing your home and stealing your personal and confidential documents. Something as seemingly innocuous as an offer for a loan or credit card can be used to create fake accounts in your name—accounts that you won’t know exist until it’s too late.

How can you protect your PII?

The best way to protect your PII is to make sure you have properly purged expired documents by having them securely shredded. In addition, scan and save records and documents on a thumb drive and be sure to have old devices permanently destroyed by a professional, certified provider to ensure you don’t leave a digital footprint that thieves can hack into. These include old hard drives, tablets and cell phones. Also, never recycle any papers that contain personally identifying information—including yours and your children.

PII is a term that everyone needs to know about and understand. Because of today’s advanced technology, criminals are able to gain access to confidential information with just one or two identifiers. Keep your identity, the identity of your family and of your customers safe by following the above steps.

For all your shredding needs, get in touch with All Points Mobile Shredding. We’re a full-service shredding and destruction company in Stuart, Florida. Our professional team is highly trained in order to ensure that your documents and devices are safely and securely destroyed and will provide shredding and destruction at your home or office. Call (800) 696-8483 to find out more about what we do or to get a quote for a one-time shred or a regular shredding schedule.

Dawn Connelly

Dawn is the vice president of All Points Mobile Shredding. All Points Mobile Shredding is a family-owned and operated on-site document destruction company that has been serving the Treasure Coast, Palm Beaches, and surrounding areas since 1994.

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