Personal Data: How to Properly Store It
Personal data is any information that identifies a person. This includes name, email, phone number, location data, IP address, purchase history, and even behavior on the website. In marketing, personal data helps to better understand the audience, segment customers, and build personalized communications.
What is personal data and what it includes
Personal information is any data that can be used to identify an individual. This includes obvious details like your name or email address, as well as less obvious ones like your Social Security number, device ID, or browser cookies. In the U.S., laws like the CCPA help define and protect this kind of information.
Similar laws exist in many countries, and their goal is the same everywhere — to protect private information from misuse.
Personal data of a test subscriber on the Altcraft marketing automation platform
What data is considered personal
Personal information can take many forms, including:
Basic details – Full name, date of birth, and home address.
Contact information – Phone number, email address, mailing address.
Identification documents – Driver’s license, passport, Social Security number (SSN), taxpayer ID.
Financial information – Bank account numbers, credit/debit card details, income, and credit history.
Location data – GPS coordinates, travel tickets, building entry records (e.g., keycards or badges).
Medical information – Diagnoses, treatments, prescriptions, and medical records.
Education and employment – Degrees, schools attended, employer, job titles.
Biometric data – Fingerprints, facial images, voice samples, DNA.
Digital footprint – Browser history, IP address, device information, and cookies.
It's important to note that there’s no definitive, official list of what qualifies as personal information. Context matters — for example, if an email address can't be linked to a specific individual, it may not be considered personal information.
What is not considered personal data
- Anonymous data. If the information is not tied to a specific person, it is not considered personal. For example, a survey on a terminal screen.
- Aggregated data. When companies analyze users by segments (age, interests) without linking them to specific individuals.
- Corporate contacts. Phone numbers and emails of companies, if they are not related to a specific employee (for example, info@brand.com). However, if an email includes an employee's last name (smith@brand.com), that is already personal data.
By the way, how to segment customers correctly? Read in the article on the four segmentation models.
Why this is important for marketers
Marketing is built on data. The more a company knows about its audience, the more accurate its advertising campaigns can be. But there are boundaries that should not be crossed.
Storage of personal data is regulated by law, and violations can not only lead to loss of customer trust but also to significant fines.
A simple rule: if data can identify a specific person, it is personal information, and it must be handled with care.
Types of personal data
In marketing, personal data provides the opportunity to understand the audience, offer relevant products, and create personalized campaigns.
Conditionally, personal data can be divided into several categories:
1. General — basic information that most people have: name, surname, date of birth, city of residence. Such data is usually requested during registration or order placement, and consent for processing can be given simply by confirming (for example, by checking a box).
2. Special — more sensitive information: nationality, religion, health status, political views, criminal record. They are rarely used in marketing, and their processing requires written consent.
3. Biometric — fingerprints, photographs, voice, facial parameters, DNA. These are most often used in banking and security systems, but biometric-based authentication technologies can also be used in marketing, for example, in retail stores to identify regular customers.
4. Dynamic — information that changes over time: phone number, place of work, income level, purchase history, geolocation. This is a key category for marketers, as it allows building personalized recommendations, segmenting the audience, and predicting customer behavior.
Collection and processing of customers' personal data require compliance with legislation. Transparency in dealing with them builds trust, while proper data use makes marketing strategies more precise.
Storage of Personal Data: Best Practices
If your business collects personal data — whether for newsletters, user registration, or analytics — you're responsible for keeping that information secure. Failing to follow proper data protection practices can expose your company to serious risks. Without clear policies and technical safeguards, your business is vulnerable to data breaches. On top of that, violations of privacy regulations (like the CCPA or GDPR, if applicable) can result in fines and legal action. Most importantly, mishandling customer data erodes trust — one of your most valuable business assets.
Where to Start
Before collecting and storing personal data, businesses should:
- Identify what types of personal data they collect.
- Determine the legal basis for collecting and processing that data.
- Establish and document internal procedures for securing and managing the data.
Depending on your industry or location, you may also need to comply with specific regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if operating internationally.
Where and How Data Can Be Stored
Personal data can be stored in different formats, including:
- Paper records — such as employee files or signed forms.
- Electronic formats — like CRM databases, spreadsheets, or customer intake forms.
Make sure storage systems are secure, access is limited to authorized personnel, and appropriate encryption or access controls are in place.
How Long Data Can Be Stored
Under most data privacy laws, you can’t keep personal information longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected. Once the data is no longer needed, it should be securely deleted or anonymized.
For example:
- If a user signs up for email updates, their email address can be stored until they unsubscribe.
- If a customer places an order, their data can be retained as long as needed for accounting, tax, or warranty purposes.
How personal data protection works
Any company dealing with personal data is responsible for their security. Even if the data is transferred to third parties (for example, contractors for email campaigns), it is necessary to sign a contract to comply with legal requirements.
Main protection measures
1. Access restriction — only those employees who truly need access should have it.
2. Encryption — used for transmitting and storing data, especially banking information and biometrics.
3. Protection of information systems — antivirus software, firewalls, access controls to servers.
4. Regular checks and audits — it is better to periodically check the security system than to deal with the consequences of a leak.
5. Employee training — many leaks occur due to human factors, so it is important to explain to the team how to work with data correctly.
How to determine what level of protection is needed
There are four levels of data protection. To understand what measures to apply, consider:
What data is collected (ordinary, biometric, etc.)
Whose data is stored (employee or customer data)
How many records are in the database (up to 100,000 or more)
What threats are relevant (technical vulnerabilities, human factors, etc.)
What to use for storing personal data
It is essential not only to collect data but also to store it properly. Using ordinary tables can lead to leaks and legal issues. Modern platforms help centralize data, automate work, and ensure security.
CDP Altcraft — a comprehensive solution for customer data storage
CDP (Customer Data Platform) Altcraft is a system that integrates customer information from various sources, stores it in a unified space, and allows managing data without unnecessary risks.
What using CDP Altcraft provides
360° customer profile. All interactions of the customer with the brand are stored in one place: subscriptions, purchases, promo codes, reactions to newsletters, and much more. This helps to build personalized campaigns and analyze the audience.
Data security. The Altcraft CDP platform supports data storage on the company’s servers, which is particularly important for compliance with Russian legislation.
Flexible access policies. Access to various levels of data can be restricted for employees using roles and groups.
Two-factor authentication and action control. The system monitors user activity, reducing the likelihood of leaks and abuse.
Automation of customer interactions. Built-in Customer Journey scenarios help build personalized communications via email, SMS, push notifications, and messengers.
Integrations with other systems. Data can be synchronized with CRM, advertising accounts, and other services to set up a unified ecosystem.
How to choose a data storage system
If your company actively works with personal data, it's important to consider:
- Where your data is stored — ideally on secure servers located in regions that comply with relevant U.S. data privacy laws.
- How well the storage system integrates with your existing business processes.
- The level of security and access controls in place to protect sensitive information.
- Ease of access and usability for teams that need customer data for tasks like marketing, support, or analytics.
CDP Altcraft is an example of a platform that combines security, analytics, and ease of working with data. This solution allows not only to comply with legal requirements but also to enhance marketing effectiveness.
Conclusion
Personal data is information that can identify a specific person. Companies use such data to better understand their clients, and personalization becomes the key to adapting offers and building communications. But with this comes responsibility: to store information securely, comply with legal requirements, and protect personal data from leaks.
To avoid problems, it is essential to organize the database storage correctly: use reliable systems, restrict employee access, and apply encryption. Modern platforms, such as CDP Altcraft, help not only to store data but also to manage it effectively, while marketing automation simplifies the workflow.
The better personal data is protected, the higher the company’s reputation and audience loyalty.