5.34 Privacy and Protection of PII

The organisation should identify and meet the requirements regarding the preservation of privacy and protection of PII according to applicable laws and regulations and contractual requirements.

Personally Identifiable Information is any information that can be used to identify an individual, including things like name, address, date of birth, and social security number. Protecting PII is important because it helps to prevent identity theft, financial fraud, and other types of abuse. This can involve measures such as encrypting data, using secure servers and networks and implementing strict access controls to prevent unauthorised access to PII.

Implementing the following measures can help protect PII and keep it secure within your organisation.

• Implement access controls to limit access to PII to only those who need it to perform their job duties.
• Encrypt PII when it is stored or transmitted to prevent unauthorised access.
• Use secure servers and networks to store and transmit PII.
• Regularly update security software and applications to protect against the latest threats.
• Implement robust password policies to prevent unauthorised access to PII.
• Train employees on how to handle and protect PII.
• Implement regular audits and monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorised access to PII.
• Have a plan in place for responding to data breaches and incidents involving PII.
• Consider implementing two-factor authentication for access to systems and networks containing PII.