Final answer:
A common cause of PII breach incidents in the Air Force is phishing attacks, where attackers trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, potentially leading to significant security risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the common causes of PII breach incidents in the Air Force is through phishing attacks. Phishing is a type of social engineering where attackers send fraudulent messages designed to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. In the military context, this might involve emails that appear to come from a legitimate source within the Air Force, luring recipients into clicking on a suspect link or providing login credentials.
Once the attackers gain access to the system using the compromised information, they can potentially access and exfiltrate Personal Identifiable Information (PII), posing a significant security risk. The consequences of such breaches in the Air Force could lead to threats to national security, including the exposure of operational information, personnel details, and more.