100-140 Question 365
Single answerDuring an IT support task, you are reviewing a document shared by a team member. The document contains customer names, email addresses, and purchase histories. How should this data be categorized?
- A
Public data
- B
Proprietary data
- C
Confidential data
- D
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The document contains customer-specific information, including names, email addresses, and purchase histories. This type of data directly identifies individuals, making it Personally Identifiable Information (PII). IT support professionals must recognize and protect PII to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and avoid breaches.
- A. Incorrect.
Public data is information that is freely accessible and not sensitive, such as publicly available news articles or company marketing materials. Customer names and email addresses are not public data.
- B. Incorrect.
Proprietary data refers to information owned by an organization that provides a competitive advantage, like trade secrets or internal processes. While this data might be proprietary in certain contexts, it is better categorized as PII in this scenario due to the presence of customer-specific details.
- C. Incorrect.
Confidential data is sensitive and must be protected but does not necessarily identify individuals. Examples include internal financial reports or business strategies. The customer information in this scenario includes identifiable details and is better classified as PII.
- D. Correct.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is data that can identify an individual, such as names, email addresses, and purchase histories. The document in question contains these elements, making it PII.