Personally Identifiable Information (PII) appears in nearly every regulated industry — but the type of data and compliance risks vary significantly by sector.

PII includes any data that can directly or indirectly identify an individual.
However, what qualifies as PII in legal contracts may differ from financial statements or healthcare records.

Below is a structured breakdown of PII examples by industry, including common misclassification risks.

What Counts as PII?

PII generally falls into two categories:

Direct Identifiers

• Full name

• National ID number

• Passport number

• Driver’s license number

• Bank account number

Indirect Identifiers

• Email address

• Phone number

• IP address

• Employee ID

• Insurance policy number

When combined with contextual information, indirect identifiers can also become sensitive personal data.

PII Examples in the Legal Industry

Legal organizations handle high volumes of confidential client information, often across jurisdictions.

Common PII in Legal Documents

• Client names

• Residential addresses

• Witness signatures

• Court case identifiers linked to individuals

• Settlement payment details

• Contact information in contracts

Where PII Typically Appears

• Litigation filings

• Due diligence reports

• M&A documentation

• Employment agreements

• Corporate governance records

Key Risk

Legal documents are frequently shared in virtual data rooms during transactions.
Failure to properly identify and redact PII can lead to confidentiality breaches or regulatory violations.

PII Examples in the Financial Industry

Financial institutions manage some of the most sensitive forms of personal data.

Common PII in Financial Documents

• Bank account numbers

• Transaction histories

• Tax identification numbers

• Investment portfolio details linked to individuals

• KYC documentation

• Loan applications

Often Overlooked PII

• Payment reference descriptions

• Guarantor details

• Personal email addresses in investor communications

Key Risk

Financial PII is highly attractive for fraud and identity theft.
Incomplete redaction can expose institutions to compliance penalties and reputational damage.

PII Examples in the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare organizations must manage both PII and PHI (Protected Health Information).

Common PII in Healthcare Records

• Patient full name

• Date of birth

• Medical record number

• Insurance policy number

• Home address

• Emergency contact information

PII vs PHI

In healthcare contexts:

• PII refers to general identifying data

• PHI includes medical condition, diagnosis, and treatment information

Many data elements qualify as both.

Key Risk

Under regulations such as HIPAA, improper handling of patient data can result in severe fines and operational restrictions.

Comparison Table: PII by Industry

Why Industry Context Matters

The same data element can carry different levels of sensitivity depending on the context.

For example:

• An email address in marketing material may be low risk

• The same email address in a sealed legal filing may require strict redaction

Organizations must evaluate:

1. Jurisdiction

2. Industry regulation

3. Purpose of document sharing

4. Volume of documents processed

Identifying and Protecting PII at Scale

Manual review of large document sets is often:

• Inconsistent

• Time-intensive

• Prone to oversight

AI-driven redaction systems help organizations:

• Automatically detect sensitive identifiers

• Apply permanent redaction

• Remove hidden metadata

• Maintain audit trails

• Support compliance workflows

This becomes especially critical in secure document-sharing environments and virtual data rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a business email considered PII?

Yes, if it identifies a specific individual.

Are transaction histories PII?

Yes, when linked to an identifiable person.

Is a medical record number considered PII?

Yes, and it may also qualify as PHI.

Does industry regulation affect PII classification?

Yes. Regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and HIPAA influence how data must be handled.

Final Thoughts

PII is not defined by industry alone — but industry context determines its sensitivity and compliance impact.

Legal, financial, and healthcare organizations must implement structured identification and redaction processes before sharing documents externally.

For a deeper look at how automated AI-based redaction works within secure document environments, explore our AI Redaction solution:

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