A couple of months ago I was at a cafe, and a woman was sitting outside the shop at a table. I was inside seated at a window that looked right onto her table. I noticed that she was filling out some personal paperwork while also randomly checking Facebook. As I watched her for a little bit longer I realized that the paperwork she was filling out had everything I needed to steal her identity. Name, address, phone number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and social security number. It was just right there out in the open. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing, but at the same time I wasn't all that surprised because a lot of people don't protect their personal information. As she mindlessly checked her Facebook, I could have easily taken a photo or written down the information on her paperwork. When I left, I let her know that she should keep that piece of paper covered if she's done with it or put it away because of all the important information on it. Honestly, she had no idea what I was talking about and looked a bit confused. Unfortunately, she, like so many others are the people you hear about that get their identity stolen and then wonder how it happened. It happens by being an easy target and not being aware.

The amount of PII (Personal Identifiable Information) or SPI (Sensitive Personal Information) that is being asked of us today is absurd. We are basically giving it away to criminals. Some of you may have heard the term PII/SPI and for some this might be new. For me, I'm very familiar with it due to my background in IT and dealing with sensitive data/information systems. What you need to know about PII/SPI is that it's personal information (name, SSN, birthdate, etc.) that can be used on its own or with other information to identify an individual. Basically, it's information that can be used to steal your identity, commit fraud under your name, stalk you, rob you, and so on. Oftentimes this information is taken by criminals and used against you. It's even worse now with social media. We literally are giving criminals all the information they need and potentially opening ourselves up to being targets.

It amazes me to see the amount of information we are so willing to give out, and we aren't helping ourselves either with the amount of information we put on social media.  I know we are in the digital age where we feel the need to document every aspect of our lives on social media but this is an area we also need to be cautious about.

Our PII/SPI is information that we need to hold close and be extremely careful giving out. You almost can’t avoid giving some form of the information out these days as it’s basically asked for everything.  However, there are some easy ways you can help keep your personal information safe.

8 Tips to Keep Your PII Safe

1. Oftentimes when at a retail store the sales associate will ask you for PII to look up your account in the system. Instead of relaying this information verbally, hand them your driver’s license or something else that has that information. Additionally, if you have a credit card with the retailer and they need to look it up, they often ask for your SSN. A piece of information that you should NEVER give out unless absolutely necessary. First ask why they need it and if there is an alternative piece of information they could use to help look up your account. If not, write it on a piece of paper and ask for it back so you can properly discard it at home or even shred it. I've seen many sales associates just throw this type of info right into the garbage.

2. Resist the urge to sign-up using the paper mailing lists at the checkout counter. The fancy guest books or notepads urging you to provide your name, email, phone number, and sometimes mailing address so you can stay in the know of the latest sales are there for anyone to look at and take the information down. All it takes is a quick snap of a phone pic and you’ve got yourself a nice list of people to potentially target. If you really want to receive email updates, go to the company's website. More than likely they have a place for you to submit your info and oftentimes offer a discount code to use when you do.

3. Keep your credit cards close. With chip readers it's becoming a bit easier for thieves to get credit card information. Don't have your credit card sitting on the counter waiting to pay. Keep it in your hand until it's time to process the transaction. If you're at a restaurant and they don't have something to enclose your credit card, keep it face down on the tray/table under the check.

4. Beware of phishing scams. Did you receive a random email or call from someone claiming to be your bank/credit card/mortgage/etc. company and they need this information for various reasons? Don't reply to the email and/or hang up the phone. Call your bank/credit card/mortgage company yourself and let them know you received a call/email and you want to verify it's legit. This type of activity of seeking information is called phishing. Basically, criminals are looking for easy targets that are more than willing to give up personal information. They think if they worry you by telling you something is wrong with your account that you'll easily give them the info they need.

5. Use secure passwords and change them often. Whether it's your social media, email, or bank accounts make sure that you are using strong passwords and that they get changed often. Here are some great tips from Connect Safely to help you create strong passwords.

6. Be careful of public Wi-Fi. Who doesn't love free Wi-Fi? However, that "free" Wi-Fi can actually come with a hefty price tag if you're not cautious with how you are using it. While they are great when you're traveling and need to look up the directions of a restaurant, don't conduct personal business over a free Wi-Fi network. If you need to handle any type of bank transactions or anything that involves submitting SPI wait until you are back to a secure Wi-Fi connection. If you must conduct business on public Wi-Fi, check to ensure that the site you are connecting to is using a secure HTTPS browser as this means the information being sent between your browser and the website is encrypted. If public Wi-Fi is your main access to the Internet, you may want to set up and pay for a VPN (Virtual Private Network). I use one whenever I’m not on my home network; both on my laptop and phone. Use the VPN when on public Wi-Fi. Anyone in the local area will only be able to see that you’re connected to the VPN, not what you’re doing on it.

7. Question the people who are asking for your information. Before you share your or your family’s information ask why they need it, how they will protect it, and what the consequences are of not sharing the information. Some of the information they are asking for they may not necessarily need.

8. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't let down your situational awareness just because you are at your favorite coffee shop. While you may think that no one at your local cafe is out to do harm, there are people with bad intentions that wander public areas looking for these 'easy targets'. If you choose to fill out PII in public, be aware of who can see it. Keep the information out of sight and secured.

Some people may call this type of mentality paranoid but it's reality. This is about safeguarding your information from potential cyber-criminals and identity thieves. The reality is that there are malicious people in this world, and they are preying on nice, goodhearted people. Don't make things easy for them. Use your head, trust your gut, and protect your information.