How Organizations Can Protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Every organization handles personally identifiable information whether you realize it or not.

• If you run a medical practice, you manage patient records.
• If you operate a law firm, you store client files.
• If you own a financial services company, you maintain account information and tax documents.

Even small professional offices collect employee HR files, background checks, and payroll records.

For businesses across Dallas–Fort Worth, protecting that information is not optional. It is a legal responsibility and just as important, it’s a matter of trust.

At Armstrong Archives, we have worked with DFW businesses for more than 20 years. One question comes up often:

How do we properly protect personally identifiable information especially paper records?

Let’s walk through what PII is, why it matters, and how your organization can protect it with confidence.

What Is PII?

Personally identifiable information (PII) is any information that can identify a specific individual.

If a piece of data can be used to identify, contact, or locate someone — either on its own or when combined with other information — it is considered PII.

Common examples include:

• Social Security numbers
• Driver’s license numbers
• Passport numbers
• Bank account and credit card numbers
• Medical records
• Employee personnel files
• Student records

In short, if losing control of the information could put someone at risk of identity theft or fraud, it likely qualifies as PII.

What Is Considered PII?

Many business owners ask us, “What is considered PII in my office?”

The answer depends on context.

Some information, known as direct identifiers, clearly identifies one person. Other information (indirect identifiers) may seem harmless until it is combined with additional data.

Direct Identifiers

Direct identifiers clearly point to one specific individual. These include:

• Social Security numbers
• Government-issued ID numbers
• Bank account numbers
• Insurance policy numbers

These records should always have restricted access and secure storage.

Indirect Identifiers

Indirect identifiers, standing alone, may not identify someone. But when combined with other information, they can.

Examples include:

• Date of birth
• ZIP code
• Employment information
• Account history

For example, a date of birth alone may not seem sensitive. But a date of birth combined with a name and address can create serious risk.

When reviewing examples of PII inside your organization, it helps to think about how different pieces of information could be connected.

Why Improper PII Storage Creates Real Risk

Many companies invest heavily in cybersecurity. That is important. But physical records often create just as much exposure.

We regularly see businesses storing archived files in unlocked file rooms, back offices with general staff access, hall closets, and public self-storage units. Often, they are stored without clear tracking and retention schedules. These situations create risk.

If personally identifiable information is lost, stolen, or improperly accessed, your business could face identity theft claims, regulatory fines, legal action, mandatory breach notifications, and damage to your reputation.

Beyond compliance, there is a trust factor. Your clients and employees expect you to safeguard their information.

The good news is that protecting PII does not require complicated systems. It requires structure, oversight, and the right storage environment.

How Is PII Protected?

So how is PII protected in a practical, real-world business setting? The answer is through layered safeguards. Strong protection combines administrative controls, physical safeguards, and technical security. Each layer supports the others.

Administrative Safeguards to Protect PII

Administrative safeguards to protect PII focus on policies and accountability. This is where protection begins.

Your organization should have:

• Written privacy and data handling policies
• Clear procedures for storing and retrieving records
• Employee training on handling sensitive information
• Defined access permissions
• A documented records retention schedule

Administrative safeguards create consistency. They reduce mistakes. They make sure everyone understands their responsibility. Without clear policies, even the most secure facility cannot fully protect your information.

Physical Safeguards

Physical safeguards protect paper records and archived files from unauthorized access and environmental damage. This is especially important for businesses that still rely on paper files — which many medical, legal, and financial firms do.

Strong physical protection includes:

• Restricted-access storage areas
• Controlled facility entry
• Organized indexing systems
• Documented chain-of-custody tracking
• Secure destruction when records reach end-of-life

There is a major difference between storing records in a spare office or public storage unit and placing them in a professional records center.

At Armstrong Archives, our Dallas-area facility is designed specifically for business records. Access is restricted. Every box is tracked. Climate-controlled storage is available. You can also set up clear destruction instructions in advance, so when records reach the end of their retention period, our secure shredding services are automatically carried out and fully documented for your files.

This level of control significantly reduces risk.

Technical Safeguards

Today, many companies have made the switch from paper to digital files. But even in companies that still primarily work with paper files, many of those records are eventually scanned, shared electronically, or accessed digitally. That is where technical safeguards become important.

Technical safeguards protect scanned versions of your paper records, along with any other electronic files your organization maintains within your own systems. While Armstrong Archives does not provide cloud hosting or data storage, we can securely transmit encrypted files to you or provide them on your preferred physical storage medium.

These safeguards may include:

• Encryption
• Secure internal digital systems
• Role-based system access
• Audit trails that track activity
• Secure scan-on-demand services

Many organizations choose to digitize frequently accessed records. This reduces handling of original paper files while maintaining security and quick retrieval.

A balanced approach combining secure physical storage with secure digital access often works best.

How Secure Records Storage Supports PII Protection

Moving archived records offsite can be one of the most practical steps you take to improve information security.

Secure records storage helps your organization:

• Reduce the number of employees who can access sensitive files
• Maintain documented tracking of every stored box
• Prepare for audits more confidently
• Protect records from fire, flooding, and environmental damage
• Free up valuable office space

For more than 30 years, Armstrong Archives has helped Dallas–Fort Worth businesses simplify document management while protecting sensitive information.

We are locally owned and managed. Our clients know who they are working with. We provide personal service and clear pricing not hidden fees or impersonal call centers.

We protect and manage your business information with personal care and security.

Who Is Ultimately Responsible for Protecting PII at Our Company?

A question we often hear is: Who is ultimately responsible for protecting PII at our company?

The answer starts at the top.

Business owners and executive leadership are accountable for safeguarding personally identifiable information. Compliance officers and department managers play an important role. But protection must be shared across the organization.

That includes:

• Leadership oversight
• Employee accountability
• Careful vendor selection
• Clear documentation of handling procedures

When you partner with a secure records management provider, you strengthen your internal controls.

Best Practices for Organizations Handling PII

If your organization handles personally identifiable information, here are practical steps you can take:

• Review where your archived records are currently stored
• Limit access to sensitive files
• Confirm your vendors follow secure handling procedures
• Maintain a clear retention schedule
• Conduct regular compliance reviews
• Schedule secure destruction for expired records

These steps do not have to be complicated. They simply require consistency and attention.

Frequently Asked Questions About PII

Protect Your Business and Reputation

Protecting personally identifiable information is about more than avoiding penalties. It protects your clients. It protects your employees. And it protects your reputation.

If your Dallas–Fort Worth organization needs secure records storage, document scanning, or certified document destruction, Armstrong Archives is ready to help.

Contact us today to schedule a secure records assessment and learn how we can support your business.