What is confidential information?
Definition
Confidential information is information that only authorized people are allowed to see, such as personal details, medical records, financial data or business secrets, and that must be protected from unauthorized access or disclosure.
- Category
- Security
- Also called
- confidential data, confidentiality
- Last updated
In security terms, confidentiality means preserving authorized restrictions on information access and disclosure, including ways of protecting personal privacy and proprietary information. That's NIST's definition, drawn from US federal law. Confidential information is the data that confidentiality applies to.
What counts depends on who holds it. For a person, it's things like your Social Security number, bank details, medical history and passwords. For a company, it's customer lists, contracts, source code or unreleased plans. NIST also defines sensitive information more broadly, as information whose loss, misuse or unauthorized access could harm the national interest, federal programs or the privacy individuals are entitled to.
A concrete example: a clinic stores patient records. Only the care team should open them. If a receptionist's laptop is stolen with an unencrypted copy, confidentiality has been broken, even if nobody misuses the data.
Confidential vs. personal data
Personal data is information about an identifiable person. Confidential information is a wider idea: it can be personal, or it can be a business secret that says nothing about any person. Much personal data is also confidential, but a public phone listing is personal and not confidential.
Why it matters
Once confidential information reaches the wrong people, you can't take it back. Leaked details can lead to identity theft, fraud and stalking, and companies can face legal consequences. Keeping it confidential is the first goal of security.
How to protect yourself
- 1
Share it only when needed
Give out your Social Security number, ID or medical details only when it's required, and ask how the organization will protect them.
- 2
Use unique passwords and two-step verification
This keeps one leaked password from opening your email, banking or cloud storage.
- 3
Encrypt and lock devices
Turn on full-disk encryption and a screen lock on phones and laptops so a lost device doesn't expose what's on it.
- 4
Be careful with email and public Wi-Fi
Don't send documents with sensitive details over open networks, and check the recipient before you send.
- 5
Check what's already public
Serus finds where your personal information is exposed, including data brokers and people-search sites, and removes it.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
What is an example of confidential information?
Medical records, bank account numbers, a Social Security number, passwords, a company's unreleased product plans or client lists.
What is the difference between confidential and sensitive information?
The terms overlap. Sensitive information is data whose exposure could cause harm. Confidential information is data restricted to authorized people. Organizations define both in their own policies.
Is confidential information protected by law?
Often yes, through privacy, health and contract laws, which vary by country and sector. Ask a lawyer about a specific case.
What happens if confidential information is leaked?
It can lead to identity theft, fraud or harassment. Change affected passwords, watch your accounts and credit, and follow the organization's breach notice.
Sources
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