What type of information is categorized as personally identifiable information (PII)?

Personally identifiable information (PII) refers to any data that can be used to identify a specific individual. This encompasses a wide range of information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and other identifiers that can uniquely distinguish one person from another. The key characteristic of PII is its ability to pinpoint an individual and potentially expose them to various risks such as identity theft, privacy invasion, or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

In contrast, generic data that does not pinpoint an individual, information derived from public records that lacks specific identifiers, or financial data related to a company do not fall under the PII category, as they cannot be directly linked to a specific person. Therefore, the definition of PII is very much focused on data that can distinctly identify an individual, making the correct answer a clear match for this understanding.