Data Types

Last updated Feb 24, 2023

• Sapling
• Data
• Security

A data type schema usually applies more detailed labels than Data Classification.

• Personally Identifiable Information
  • Data can be used to identify, contact, or locate and individual
  • Several types of PII, including:
    • SSN
    • name
    • date of birth
    • email address
    • telephone number
    • street address
    • biometric data
  • Some information could be PII depending on context. A static IP address could be PII when browsing the web, for example
  • Often used for password reset mechanisms and over-the-phone identification, like with security questions
• Customer Data
  • Can be institutional information, but also Personally Identifiable Information
    • Customer’s employees
    • Sales
    • Tech support contacts
  • PII for customers basically
  • Could be shared under a NDA
• Financial Information
  • PCI DSS defines the safe handling and storage of financial information
  • This is data involving money, like bank and investment accounts, payroll, and tax returns
• Personal Health Information
  • PHI
  • medical and insurance records, plus hospital and lab test results
  • Could be associated with a specific person, but also could be anonymized
  • Very valuable on black market, used for insurance fraud or victim blackmail
  • Extremely Sensitive Data
• Government Data
  • Internal government agency data
  • requirements placed by federal law in the US