PII covers information that identifies people, making its collection, storage, and disclosure central to privacy protection and breach response.
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Background for this topic.
PII (personally identifiable information) is information that identifies a person directly or can do so when combined with other data. Direct identifiers include names, government identification numbers, passport details, and email addresses; indirect identifiers can include birth dates, precise location, or unique account attributes. The term is used broadly in security, but its legal scope varies: laws and regulations may use different definitions, such as “personal data” under the GDPR or protected health information under HIPAA.
PII is a high-value target because unauthorized access or disclosure can enable identity fraud, targeted phishing, or privacy harm. It may be exposed through compromised applications, cloud storage, logs, endpoints, or third parties. Practitioners should inventory and classify it, collect and retain only what is needed, restrict access, and protect it with encryption or tokenization where appropriate. Monitoring and tested procedures for investigating exposure are important, while retention, deletion, and notification duties depend on the applicable jurisdiction and sector.
Weekly headline count for the current query.
Investigators Found Months of Unchecked Database Scraping ActivitySouth Korea's privacy regulator fined Coupang a record 624.7 billion won after concluding that weak authentication controls, insider access abuse, evidence destruction and unauthorized data collection contributed to the exposure of personal information belonging to 33.7 million people.
'Have I Been Pwned' Founder Troy Hunt Reviews Impact on People and OrganizationsThe volume of data breaches that result in stolen personal data being leaked online has been surging, "courtesy of the ShinyHunters," and while it affects individuals, the organizations being extorted are bearing the brunt of such attacks, said Troy Hunt, founder and CEO of Have I Been Pwned.
Hackers Constantly Break 'Confirmation of Data Destruction' PromisesWhen a business that stores children's personal data gets hit by data-leaking extortionists, what should it do? For Instructure, which develops online learning platform Canvas, the answer was to pay a ransom, and tell victims, straight-faced, to have "digital confirmation of data destruction."
Properly Configured Mobile Development Management Tools Can't Wipe Personal DataMobile device management software is having a moment of notoriety after Iran-aligned hacking group Handala used Microsoft Intune to wipe the mobile devices of employees at medical device manufacture Stryker. Tens of thousands of personal devices were likely affected.
Directory Traversal Flaw Found in Companies HouseThe British government's company register service temporarily deactivated its online filing service after someone found a serious vulnerability that allowed people to access directors' sensitive personal data and potentially even amend companies' records or file bogus accounts on their behalf.
Health Researchers Often Overlook Security of Historical DatasetsAn August 2025 ransomware attack on the University of Hawaii Cancer Center's epidemiology division has affected 1.2 million individuals, including personal information such as Social Security numbers of certain research study participants dating back more than 30 years.
Council of the EU Rejects Redefinition of 'Personal Data'A rejection by European Union member governments of proposal backed by the European Commission to make it easier to share data about individuals won cautious plaudits from Paul Nemitz, a key architect of Europe's General Data Protection Regulation.
Fintech Giant Says Personal Data Exposed for About 100 Business Users of Loan AppFinancial services firm PayPal said it discovered a data breach that lasted for six months, exposed some business customers' personal information and led to fraudulent charges. The company said about 100 customers were affected, and that it has fully refunded them for fraudulent charges.
Ivanti's Endpoint Manager Mobile Flaws Under Active ExploitationThe European Commission fell victim to a cyberattack that could have allowed the theft of some staff personal information. The European Union's executive body said Friday it detected on Jan. 30 an attack on its "central infrastructure managing mobile devices."
Regulators Cite Sales of Sensitive Health, Demographic DataCalifornia state regulators fined a Texas company that buys and sells data for targeted marketing, including lists pertaining to health conditions of older adults, as part of a crackdown on data brokers. The firm is now banned from selling all Californians' personal information.
Critics of South Korea's Coupang Dismiss Offer as Marketing More Than CompensationAfter suffering a data breach that exposed personal data for two-thirds of South Korea' population, online retailer Coupang promised to distribute $1.2 billion in vouchers to "restore customer trust." But critics have accused the move of being more about marketing than true compensation.
Insurer's Hack Could Rank as Largest US Health Data Breach Reported in 2025Supplemental health insurer Aflac is notifying 22.65 million people whose sensitive health and personal information, including Social Security numbers, was potentially compromised in a June data theft incident. The incident will likely rank as the biggest U.S. health data breach reported in 2025.
Insurer's Hack Could Rank as Largest US Health Data Breach Reported in 2025Supplemental health insurer Aflac is notifying 22.65 million people whose sensitive health and personal information, including Social Security numbers, was potentially compromised in a June data theft incident. The incident will likely rank as the biggest U.S. health data breach reported in 2025.
Full Scope of Clop Ransomware Group's Oracle E-Business Suite Hits Still EmergingThe University of Phoenix is notifying 3.5 million individuals that their personal information was compromised in a data breach. The theft traces to the Clop ransomware group's supply-chain campaign against users of Oracle E-Business Suite, in which it wield two zero-day vulnerabilities.
Ransomware Gang Rhysida Leaks 3.7TB of Data Stolen From Maryland Hospital SystemMaryland-based MedStar Health, which operates 10 hospitals, is notifying patients about a data theft incident affecting their personal information. Ransomware group Rhysida claims on its darkweb leak site to have 3.7 terabytes of MedStar's data, including "over 7 million pieces of patient data."
Chinese Developer Formerly Employed by Company Suspected of Data TheftSouth Korea's biggest online retailer, Coupang, said a five-month breach exposed personal data pertaining to 34 million customers, and only came to light after it received an extortion demand. Police said a former developer at the company, a Chinese national who fled the country, is a suspect.
Data of Nearly 470,000 Patients and Employees May Have Been Leaked on Dark WebOmni Family Health, a California nonprofit network of community health centers, has agreed to pay $6.5 million to settle proposed class action lawsuits related to a 2024 hack that may have exposed the personal information of nearly 470,000 current and former patients and employees on the dark web.
Breach Notification Service Details Peer-to-Peer Lending Marketplace Victim CountHackers appear to have stolen personal information pertaining to more than 17 million individuals from peer-to-peer lending marketplace Prosper, including Social Security numbers, contact information and some income and financial details, says the Have I Been Pwned breach notification service.
No Law Enforcement Information or Austrian Personal Data Compromised, Officials SayThe Austrian government said a "targeted and professional" hack attack breached about 100 government email accounts in its interior ministry, which is chiefly responsible for public safety. Attackers also stole data, although officials said no law enforcement or personal data was exposed.
Absolute Dental Says Breach Involved Third-Party Managed Services FirmA Nevada dental practice is notifying more than 1.2 million individuals of a hacking incident that compromised sensitive health and personal information. The incident involved "inadvertent execution of a malicious version of a legitimate software tool," said Absolute Dental.