1. What does PII stand for? What are some examples of PII?

Question

2. When you take actions online, where are some places that records of your online actions could be stored?
3. What electronic traces do you leave when using a search engine?
4. What electronic traces do you leave when using social media?
5. What electronic traces do you leave when visiting other websites?
6. What electronic traces do you leave when using location services?
7. Who might be able to access your online PII and electronic history?
8. How can combining sources of PII and electronic data provide a clearer picture of your life?
9. What stops companies or governments from using your PII and electronic history for good or bad purposes?
10. How is your online identity defined?
11. Can you ever permanently delete something you've done online?
12. What is identity theft and what are some example crimes that could be committed with a stolen identity?
13. What are online predators and how do you avoid them?
14. What are some good rules for personal security and privacy?
15. How do you identify safe online environments?

Answer 1

1. PII stands for Personally Identifiable Information. Some examples of PII include a person's name, Social Security number, driver's license number, passport number, and biometric data.

2. Records of your online actions could be stored in your browsing history, cookies, social media profiles, search engine history, and internet service provider logs.

3. When using a search engine, electronic traces you leave include search queries, websites visited, and location information.

4. When using social media, electronic traces you leave include posts, comments, likes, shares, friends lists, and location information.

5. When visiting other websites, electronic traces you leave include IP address, cookies, browsing history, and any information you provide on forms.

6. When using location services, electronic traces you leave include GPS data, location check-ins, and geotagged photos.

7. Companies, advertisers, hackers, government agencies, and law enforcement might be able to access your online PII and electronic history.

8. Combining sources of PII and electronic data can provide a clearer picture of your life by creating a detailed profile of your interests, habits, behaviors, and preferences.

9. Laws, regulations, privacy policies, encryption, and cybersecurity measures are meant to protect your PII and electronic history from being misused.

10. Your online identity is defined by the information you share, post, and engage with online, as well as how others perceive you based on your online activities.

11. It is very difficult to permanently delete something you've done online, as information can be stored, cached, and archived by multiple parties.

12. Identity theft is when someone uses your PII without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Examples include financial fraud, tax fraud, and medical fraud.

13. Online predators are individuals who use the internet to exploit or harm others, often targeting children and teenagers. To avoid them, you should not share personal information, meet in person, or engage in inappropriate conversations online.

14. Good rules for personal security and privacy include using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, being cautious about sharing personal information, and regularly updating privacy settings.

15. You can identify safe online environments by looking for secure website URLs (https), checking for privacy policies, avoiding suspicious websites, and verifying the credibility of sources before sharing personal information.