---
title: "What’s PII and how to protect it in emails? | DMARC Report"
description: "What’s PII and how to protect it in emails? from DMARC Report explains practical steps for email authentication, domain protection, deliverability, and DMARC."
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Quick Answer

The three core email authentication standards - SPF (RFC 7208), DKIM (RFC 6376), and DMARC (RFC 7489) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent. What’s PII and how to protect it in emails? /!

Related: [Free DMARC Checker](/tools/dmarc-checker/) ·[How to Create an SPF Record](/tools/spf-record-generator/) ·[SPF Record Format](/blog/spf-format-checker-dos-and-donts-for-email-authentication/) 

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![What’s PII and how to protect it in emails?](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2022/04/dmarc-alignment-6379.jpg) 

![Dmarc alignment 0190 150x150](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/11/dmarc-alignment-0190-150x150.jpg) 

The three core email authentication standards - SPF ([RFC 7208](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7208)), DKIM ([RFC 6376](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6376)), and DMARC ([RFC 7489](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)) - work together to verify that an email genuinely originates from the domain it claims to represent.

> The most common mistake we see during DMARC setup is jumping straight to p=reject without monitoring first, says Vasile Diaconu, Operations Lead at DuoCircle. Start at p=none, analyze your reports for at least a full quarter - you need to catch monthly, quarterly, and annual email senders that only fire periodically. Then fix any legitimate senders that fail before enforcing. We walk every customer through this sequence.

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					DMARC Report					

				
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Money is not the only thing you part with while placing an online order. As a buyer, you are also required to share personal information such as your name, date of birth, location\*\*, social security number, and so on. The personal data that you share over email to complete the checkout process is called [PII or Personally Identifiable Information](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/personally-identifiable-information-pii.asp).

PII sharing is not restricted to just shopping activities. From applying for a job, SIM registration, using banking services, to travel bookings, opting for subscription services, and gaming, sharing your personally identifiable information online has become the new normal. We are living in a time where cyber threats have **penetrated into our everyday lives**. And in such a situation, sharing this extremely [sensitive data](https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/bank-vendor-cyberattack-supply-chain/806293/) over email can pose a serious risk to your data and network.

This blog aims to explore PII and the actionable steps that can actually safeguard your personal data.

## What does Personally Identifiable Information (PII) mean

PII or Personally Identifiable Information is the personal data of a user that is used to locate or determine a specific individual. In other words, PII is the \*\*digital footprint \*\*that can lead people directly to you. It is your unique data that helps people locate you in this digital ecosystem.

![What is dmarc](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/11/what-is-dmarc-0112.jpg) 

There are **two types of PII**: direct identifiers and indirect identifiers.

While direct identifiers include data such as your full name, [social security number](https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/08/national-public-data-returns-after-massive-social-security-number-leak), contact number, home address, passport details, etc., indirect identifiers include details such as your gender, medical information, IP addresses, and so on.

## PII in email communications

Email was primarily used as a communication tool **back in the 1970s**. At present, email has become an integral part of everyday business and life operations. Sophisticated [phishing attacks](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/mobile-phishing-attacks-surge-16/) are on the rise, and even the most secure email network can get compromised.

This is exactly why sharing personally identifiable information over email can put you at risk:

## Manual error

Human error adds to the risk of your personal data being misused by a cybercrook. _Suppose you send your sensitive information to the wrong recipient_. Now you are at risk of your data being abused. Forwarding email chains that contain PII unknowingly can also pose a substantial threat to your data. You may also fall for sophisticated and highly convincing [phishing emails](https://abc7chicago.com/post/scammers-using-new-enhanced-phishing-emails-malicious-links-hack-victims-security-experts-tell-abc7-team/16234579/).

![Dmarc alignment](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/11/dmarc-alignment-8890.jpg) 

## Transmission risk

An unencrypted email containing PII goes through \*\*multiple servers \*\*before reaching the recipient’s inbox. During the transmission, the email can easily be intercepted, especially when the network is not secure.

## Storage problems

_An email doesn’t self-destruct once it is read by the recipient. It continues to exist in the inboxes, backups, or archives for years_. Can you imagine what’ll happen if the device gets stolen or hacked? Also, if you are accessing your email account across multiple devices, the element of risk further increases.

## Impersonation threats

Cybercrooks can carry out domain spoofing to increase the credibility of malicious emails. These [spoofed emails](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/infosec2025-email-domains-spoofing/) can often arrive at your inbox in the form of [fake bank communications](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/30/business/us-bank-cfbp-fine), false HR emails, and malicious emails from executives asking for critical employee data. If your email network is not protected by a reliable authentication protocol \*\*([SPF](https://autospf.com/blog/spf-guide-understanding-sender-policy-framework/), DKIM, DMARC), then you are actually making it quite easy for threat actors to impersonate your boss, bank, or a tourism service provider.

![Dmarc record generator](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/11/dmarc-record-generator-0112.jpg) 

## Lifecycle vulnerability

Emails that contain PII are [prone to cyberattack](https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/cyber/75-of-us-companies-prone-to-cyberattack--report-497913.aspx) at all stages, right from creation, transmission, use by the recipient, to storage, and finally disposal. Since the \*\*email ecosystem doesn’t operate like purpose-driven messaging platforms, the level of risk is quite high.

## How to protect your PII in emails from being misused by threat actors

Below are a couple of simple and proven tricks to \*\*prevent your personal information from ending up in a threat actor’s hands:

## 1\. \*\*Do not share the details if not mandatory _If it is not mandatory, then there is absolutely no need to share PII over email_. Alternatively, you can think of using secure customer portals or safe document-sharing platforms.

## 2\. End-to-end encryption is a must

If an [end-to-end encrypted](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/end-to-end-encryption) email gets encrypted, then it is not possible for them to read the content of the email. Opt for a convenient [email encryption](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/email-security/what-is-email-encryption/) service today.

## 3\. Implementing email authentication is the key

Deploying SPF, DKIM, and [DMARC](https://dmarcreport.com/) can safeguard you against email-based PII risks. These protocols actively verify the identity of the sender to \*\*protect your network against phishing and [spoofing attacks](https://www.msspalert.com/brief/novel-usps-spoofing-phishing-attack-relies-on-malicious-pdfs).

![Create dmarc record](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/2025/11/create-dmarc-record-0112.jpg) 

## 4\. \*\*Practising email hygiene Practicing email hygiene is no longer a luxury but a need. Some of the best practices include deleting old emails with PII, **implementing MFA**, and using strong passwords.

## 5\. Regular training

Human error can lead to [PII breaches](https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/data-breach-at-government-contractor-conduent-sparks-nearly-a-dozen-class-action-lawsuits/), and therefore, it is best to conduct regular training sessions. Trained individuals are in a better position to identify sensitive data and can manage it with greater efficiency.

## Sources

- [RFC 7208 - Sender Policy Framework (SPF)](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7208)
- [RFC 7489 - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7489)

## Topics

[ dkim ](/tags/dkim/)[ DMARC ](/tags/dmarc/)[ SPF ](/tags/spf/) 

![Vishal Lamba](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/vishal-lamba.jpg) 

[ Vishal Lamba ](/authors/vishal-lamba/) 

Content Specialist

Content Specialist at DMARC Report. Writes vendor-specific email authentication guides and troubleshooting walkthroughs.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-lamba/) 

## Take control of your DMARC reports

Turn raw XML into actionable dashboards. Start free - no credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://app.dmarcreport.com/) [Check Your DMARC Record](/tools/dmarc-checker/) 

## Related Articles

[  Foundational 8m  10 Critical Learnings From Verizon’s 2021 DBIR - A DMARCReport Perspective  Nov 25, 2025 ](/blog/10-critical-learnings-from-verizons-2021-dbir-a-dmarcreport-perspective/)[  Foundational 12m  10 DNS Blacklist Insights That Improve Email Security And Deliverability Fast  Nov 14, 2025 ](/blog/10-dns-blacklist-insights-to-improve-email-security-and-deliverability/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Email Spoofing Detection Tools That Dramatically Improve Brand Protection  Nov 11, 2025 ](/blog/10-email-spoofing-detection-tools-that-dramatically-improve-brand-protection/)[  Foundational 12m  10 Reasons SPF Filtering Is Critical For Email Security  Nov 19, 2025 ](/blog/10-reasons-spf-filtering-is-critical-for-email-security/)

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