What type of information can lead to identity theft when combined with public information?

The correct answer is personally identifiable information (PII). This type of information includes data that can be used to identify an individual, such as names, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and financial details. When PII is combined with publicly available information, such as data found in social media posts or public directories, it significantly increases the risk of identity theft. An attacker can use PII to impersonate a person, gain access to their accounts, or commit fraud, which is why it poses a higher risk compared to other types of information.

Publicly available directories, while they may contain information about individuals, do not inherently lead to identity theft unless combined with PII. General financial trends and advertisements also lack the direct connection to individual identity and, therefore, do not contribute to the risk of identity theft in the same critical way that PII does.