Which practice helps protect PII in the workplace?

• A. Print PII and leave on desk
• B. Share PII broadly with coworkers
• C. Minimize access to PII and use encryption where appropriate
• D. Store PII in unsecured public folders

Answer: (C)

Protecting PII in the workplace relies on restricting who can access sensitive information and securing it with safeguards like encryption. The strongest approach is to apply the least-privilege principle: give only those individuals who genuinely need to work with PII access to it, and regularly review and adjust those permissions. Coupled with encryption, this limits exposure even if data is accessed by someone who shouldn’t have it or if it is intercepted. Encrypting data at rest and in transit helps ensure that information remains unreadable to unauthorized people. The other options create clear risks: printing PII and leaving it on a desk can be seen by anyone nearby; sharing PII broadly increases unnecessary exposure; storing PII in unsecured public folders makes it easy for unauthorized individuals to access. In short, limiting access and using encryption where appropriate provides the strongest protection for PII in real-world workplace scenarios.