Understanding data classifications
Certain types of data are legally protected. No one cares if you create a dataset of measurements of caterpillars that you find in your local park; you can use that data with reckless abandon! However, if you are using information that has the potential to hurt someone, there are rules about how to treat it. There are three main data classifications that fall into this category.
Personally identifiable information
As the name indicates, personally identifiable information (PII) is a classification of data that includes anything that can be used to identify a specific person. There was a time when this meant that you just couldn’t give out data with peoples’ names on it, but there are now many ways to find how who a person is based on some seemingly obscure information. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Name
- Physical address
- Email address
- IP address
- Social Security number
- Phone number...
