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PII Data Investigation Services
Protect sensitive personal information
Our experts investigate potential exposures, ensure compliance with data protection regulations, and provide actionable recommendations to reduce risk, safeguarding both your organisation and the individuals whose data you hold.
About PII data investigations
When personal and sensitive data breaches occur, your organisation faces immediate regulatory scrutiny, potential fines up to £17.5 million under the General Data Protection Regulation, and irreversible reputational damage. Research indicates that 73% of organisations struggle to locate all personally identifiable information across their complex IT environments, leaving critical blind spots that amplify breach consequences.
Companies are responsible for protecting PII and must implement robust measures to protect and secure PII in order to meet regulatory requirements and maintain trust with customers and stakeholders.
Professional PII investigation services provide immediate incident response capabilities, combining forensic analysis expertise with advanced data discovery tools to contain exposure, assess scope, and support regulatory compliance. For managing directors, this translates to rapid containment strategies that protect brand reputation and shareholder value whilst demonstrating due diligence to stakeholders and government agencies.
Adopting data privacy best practices is essential for organisations seeking to protect sensitive data and reduce the risk of data breaches. A strong data privacy framework should include regular data discovery and mapping to keep track of where sensitive information resides and how it is processed. Employee training on data handling and protection is crucial for minimising human error and ensuring everyone understands their role in maintaining data privacy.
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Why choose Zensec
Zensec helps organisations across the UK enhance their cyber security posture through expert-led, high-impact risk assessments. Our approach blends up-to-date threat intelligence, real-world incident data, and established industry frameworks to deliver clarity, control, and confidence. Trusted by over 30,000 UK businesses, we’ve supported numerous organisations in recovering from cyber attacks and implementing robust cyber security risk management strategies. Our assessments are grounded in experience, not theory. We use a consistent assessment framework aligned with Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, PCI, and CIS standards, combined with threat analysis from our incident response team. This ensures your risk assessment is thorough, relevant, and tailored to your organisation’s unique risk landscape.
Following the assessment, you’ll receive a clear executive summary outlining your overall cyber security score, individual assessment results, and tailored recommendations. For those requiring deeper insight, a detailed engineers’ appendix with raw data and technical findings is available on request. All clients completing a risk assessment with Zensec gain complimentary access to our Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) should a breach occur. This includes expert assistance with containment, recovery, and forensic investigation.
We are equipped to deal with an attack from any ransomware group.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you are under attack from a ransomware group not listed above.
Why choose PII data investigation services?
Leading organisations require specialised expertise to navigate the complex legal landscape surrounding data breaches whilst maintaining business continuity.
24/7 rapid response teams – As an NCSC-approved provider with ISO 27001 accreditation, our certified forensic investigators bring you trusted expertise and confidence, deploying quickly to preserve evidence and contain exposure, adhering to the highest security standards.
GDPR article 33 compliance support – Structured breach notification assistance ensuring regulatory requirements are met within the critical 72-hour window, with direct liaison services to the ICO, FSA, and industry-specific regulatory bodies
Advanced AI-powered data discovery – Investigation of sensitive PII across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, protecting data integrity throughout analysis and facilitating efficient data analysis to reduce manual effort.
Court-admissible forensic reports – ISO 27001 certified processes with full chain of custody documentation supporting legal proceedings, insurance claims, and regulatory defence strategies
Industry-specific expertise – Highly customisable, tailored investigation protocols for financial services, healthcare providers (protecting biometric records and medical data), government environments with specialised security controls.
Known threat actors
Ransomware groups behind the attacks
Below is a breakdown of the most active ransomware groups and the variants driving their attacks.
What makes our PII investigation services different?
Zensec’s process is designed to identify specific vulnerabilities, prioritise risks based on impact and likelihood, and support cost benefit analysis for risk management decisions.
Advanced investigation technology
Our tools process personally identifiable information PII without data movement, ensuring sensitive data remains secure throughout analysis whilst providing valuable insights into exposure patterns and security vulnerabilities.
Cross-platform expertise
Comprehensive analysis capabilities spanning mobile device forensics for BYOD environments, network forensics including encrypted communications, and database forensics for SQL Server, Oracle, and cloud-based systems storing personal data.
Regulatory integration
Deep understanding of privacy regulations across the European Union, with specialised expertise in healthcare provider requirements, financial services compliance, and government security standards ensuring investigations stay compliant with applicable frameworks.
Advanced technical capabilities
Modern data breaches require sophisticated investigation techniques that match the complexity of contemporary IT environments and the broad range of storage locations for sensitive information.
Our forensic teams leverage cutting-edge analysis tools to examine:
Cloud and hybrid environments: Complete investigation coverage across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms with API-based data extraction maintaining security controls
Collaboration platforms: Deep analysis of Microsoft Teams, Slack, and SharePoint environments where personal data often resides in unstructured formats
Endpoint and mobile forensics: Device investigation capabilities ensuring comprehensive coverage of data access points and potential intellectual property exposure
Database and application analysis: Forensic examination of enterprise databases and custom applications processing different types of personally identifiable information
We can help
Frequently asked questions
Key information when you’re under pressure.
Our emergency response teams aim to be onsite within 2-4 hours across the UK, with immediate remote containment support available 24/7.
Our systematic approach ensures comprehensive data protection whilst meeting urgent regulatory timelines and business continuity requirements, reflecting the company’s commitment to thorough investigation and compliance.
Step 1: Immediate containment and evidence preservation
Deploy certified forensic teams to secure affected systems, implement containment measures, and preserve digital evidence using industry-standard methodologies. Initial assessment identifies data subject exposure and factors specific to the incident and potential regulatory triggers.
Step 2: Comprehensive data mapping and discovery
Utilise automated discovery tools to analyse structured and unstructured data across Office 365, AWS, Google Workspace, and on-prem databases. These tools analyse data to identify where the organisation stores personally identifiable information. Advanced pattern recognition identifies quasi identifiers, phone numbers, social security numbers, and other sensitive information requiring protection.
A unique customer profile is created that is highly customisable and takes into account the types and structure of data used by the customer. Custom identifiers, classifiers, and exclusions are added to tailor the discovery process precisely to the organisation’s environment.
The output includes Person Cards reports, which link all discovered PII related to each individual across exported files into a single unified CSV spreadsheet. Each row represents all PII linked to one person, with columns containing details such as names, emails, addresses, and social security numbers. Multiple values for a single person (e.g., alternative emails) are presented separated by semicolons. The process distinguishes between sensitive PII and non sensitive PII, and clarifies what is considered PII under relevant legal terms, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
Manual false positive removal is performed by trained data loss specialists on the Person Cards to ensure accuracy and that only real personal data is reported. In cases where personal data is found but the subject cannot be definitively identified, Nameless Cards are generated. These are further investigated manually to assign data subjects correctly and update Person Cards accordingly.
This thorough process provides organisations with efficient identification of data subjects, enabling swift and accurate data subject notifications and regulatory reporting. The methodology and results are fully documented to provide evidence for compliance and future communications.
Step 3: Forensic analysis and risk assessment
Conduct detailed forensic examination to determine breach scope, affected individuals, and root cause analysis. Apply privacy impact assessment frameworks to evaluate risks specific to your organisation’s data privacy program and legal requirements, making data based decisions for remediation and reporting.
Step 4: Regulatory reporting and remediation support
Prepare regulatory notifications with actionable insights supporting compliance officer requirements. Implement data encryption, access controls, and monitoring solutions to prevent future security incidents whilst maintaining operational efficiency.
Our emergency response teams aim to be onsite within 2-4 hours across the UK, with immediate remote containment support available 24/7.
Our teams maintain expertise across European Union privacy regulations, with specialised knowledge of cross-border data transfer requirements. We coordinate with local legal teams and regulatory bodies as required.
Post-investigation services include security controls implementation, monitoring system integration, staff training on data protection best practices, and quarterly security assessments to maintain robust protection of personally identifiable information.
Dealing with a ransomware attack?
Our ransomware recovery service can help
Our expert team works quickly to contain the breach, recover your data, and restore your systems to full operation. We’ll guide you through every step of the recovery process and help strengthen your defences to prevent future attacks. Regain control with Zensec - trusted support when it matters most.