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Sensitive Data 101

What counts as sensitive data, how it is detected, and why it hides in ordinary files.

Showing 1–6 of 6 articles

Sensitive Data 101

Payment card numbers: how detection works and why the Luhn check matters

Sep 22, 2026 · 4 min read

A string of 16 digits is not automatically a card number. Here is how pattern matching plus the Luhn checksum separates real-looking cards from random numbers, and what PCI says about what you may keep.

Sensitive Data 101

Dates of birth, driver's licenses and passports: why labels matter

Sep 19, 2026 · 4 min read

Some sensitive values have no distinctive shape, so detection depends on a nearby label like DOB or passport. That keeps noise down, but it also means an unlabeled value can be missed.

Sensitive Data 101

ITINs and SSNs: two numbers offices forget they hold

Sep 16, 2026 · 4 min read

Tax offices keep Social Security numbers and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers in more places than anyone remembers. Here is what an ITIN is, why you hold them, and what the formats look like.

Sensitive Data 101

False positives: why they happen and how to triage them

Sep 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Rule-based detection will sometimes flag a number that is not sensitive. Here is why look-alikes happen and a quick routine for deciding, ranking and recording what to do with each finding.

Sensitive Data 101

SSN Exposure: How Social Security Numbers Leak Into Spreadsheets and PDFs

Jul 28, 2026 · 4 min read

Social Security numbers spread easily into everyday files. Learn the common leak paths, why they are easy to miss by eye, and how to find and contain them in your office.

Sensitive Data 101

What Counts as PII? A Plain-English Guide for Regulated SMBs

Jun 23, 2026 · 4 min read

PII is more than Social Security numbers. Learn what counts as personally identifiable information, which types carry the most risk, and where it tends to hide on your office computers.