Under the Telemarketing Sales Rule, what characteristics of consent must be in place for an organization to acquire an exception to the Do-Not-Call rules for a particular consumer?
What is a key way that the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) prevents unauthorized access into a person’s back account?
Which of the following statements is most accurate in regard to data breach notifications under federal and
state laws:
Which was NOT one of the five priority areas listed by the Federal Trade Commission in its 2012 report, “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers”?
Which of these organizations would be required to provide its customers with an annual privacy notice?
Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), what is the most appropriate action for a car dealer holding a paper folder of customer credit reports?
According to FERPA, when can a school disclose records without a student’s consent?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
You are the chief privacy officer at HealthCo, a major hospital in a large U.S. city in state A. HealthCo is a HIPAA-covered entity that provides healthcare services to more than 100,000 patients. A third-party cloud computing service provider, CloudHealth, stores and manages the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of these individuals on behalf of HealthCo. CloudHealth stores the data in state B. As part of HealthCo’s business associate agreement (BAA) with CloudHealth, HealthCo requires CloudHealth to implement securitymeasures, including industry standard encryption practices, to adequately protect the data. However, HealthCo did not perform due diligence on CloudHealth before entering the contract, and has not conducted audits of CloudHealth’s security measures.
A CloudHealth employee has recently become the victim of a phishing attack. When the employee unintentionally clicked on a link from a suspicious email, the PHI of more than 10,000 HealthCo patients was compromised. It has since been published online. The HealthCo cybersecurity team quickly identifies the perpetrator as a known hacker who has launched similar attacks on other hospitals – ones that exposed the PHI of public figures including celebrities and politicians.
During the course of its investigation, HealthCo discovers that CloudHealth has not encrypted the PHI in accordance with the terms of its contract. In addition, CloudHealth has not provided privacy or security training to its employees. Law enforcement has requested that HealthCo provide its investigative report of the breach
and a copy of the PHI of the individuals affected.
A patient affected by the breach then sues HealthCo, claiming that the company did not adequately protect the individual’s ePHI, and that he has suffered substantial harm as a result of the exposed data. The patient’s attorney has submitted a discovery request for the ePHI exposed in the breach.
What is the most effective kind of training CloudHealth could have given its employees to help prevent this type of data breach?
Who has rulemaking authority for the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
Otto is preparing a report to his Board of Directors at Filtration Station, where he is responsible for the privacy program. Filtration Station is a U.S. company that sells filters and tubing products to pharmaceutical companies for research use. The company is based in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout the U.S. and Asia. It sells to business customers across both the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. Filtration Station participates in the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system of the APEC Privacy Framework.
Unfortunately, Filtration Station suffered a data breach in the previous quarter. An unknown third party was able to gain access to Filtration Station’s network and was able to steal data relating to employees in the company’s Human Resources database, which is hosted by a third-party cloud provider based in the U.S. The HR data is encrypted. Filtration Station also uses the third-party cloud provider to host its business marketing contact database. The marketing database was not affected by the data breach. It appears that the data breach was caused when a system administrator at the cloud provider stored the encryption keys with the data itself.
The Board has asked Otto to provide information about the data breach and how updates on new developments in privacy laws and regulations apply to Filtration Station. They are particularly concerned about staying up to date on the various U.S. state laws and regulations that have been in the news, especially the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and breach notification requirements.
What can Otto do to most effectively minimize the privacy risks involved in using a cloud provider for the HR data?
Which of the following describes the most likely risk for a company developing a privacy policy with standards that are much higher than its competitors?
In 2012, the White House and the FTC both issued reports advocating a new approach to privacy enforcement that can best be described as what?
What type of material is exempt from an individual’s right to disclosure under the Privacy Act?
When developing a company privacy program, which of the following relationships will most help a privacy professional develop useful guidance for the organization?
Which is an exception to the general prohibitions on telephone monitoring that exist under the U.S. Wiretap Act?
Even when dealing with an organization subject to the CCPA, California residents are NOT legally entitled to request that the organization do what?
Sarah lives in San Francisco, California. Based on a dramatic increase in unsolicited commercial emails, Sarah believes that a major social media platform with over 50 million users has collected a lot of personal information about her. The company that runs the platform is based in New York and France.
Why is Sarah entitled to ask the social media platform to delete the personal information they have collected about her?
Within what time period must a commercial message sender remove a recipient’s address once they have asked to stop receiving future e-mail?
A financial services company install "bossware" software on its employees' remote computers to monitor performance. The software logs screenshots, mouse movements, and keystrokes to determine whether an employee is being productive. The software can also enable the computer webcams to record video footage.
Which of the following would best support an employee claim for an intrusion upon seclusion tort?
All of the following common law torts are relevant to employee privacy under US law EXCEPT?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
Felicia has spent much of her adult life overseas, and has just recently returned to the U.S. to help her friend Celeste open a jewelry store in California. Felicia, despite being excited at the prospect, has a number of security concerns, and has only grudgingly accepted the need to hire other employees. In order to guard against the loss of valuable merchandise, Felicia wants to carefully screen applicants. With their permission, Felicia would like to run credit checks, administer polygraph tests, and scrutinize videos of interviews. She intends to read applicants’ postings on social media, ask QUESTION NO:s about drug addiction, and solicit character references. Felicia believes that if potential employees are serious about becoming part of a dynamic new business, they will readily agree to these requirements.
Felicia is also in favor of strict employee oversight. In addition to protecting the inventory, she wants to prevent mistakes during transactions, which will require video monitoring. She also wants to regularly check the company vehicle’s GPS for locations visited by employees. She also believes that employees who use their own devices for work-related purposes should agree to a certain amount of supervision.
Given her high standards, Felicia is skeptical about the proposed location of the store. She has been told that many types of background checks are not allowed under California law. Her friend Celeste thinks these worries are unfounded, as long as applicants verbally agree to the checks and are offered access to the results. Nor does Celeste share Felicia’s concern about state breach notification laws, which, she claims, would be costly to implement even on a minor scale. Celeste believes that
even if the business grows a customer database of a few thousand, it’s unlikely that a state agency would hassle an honest business if an accidental security incident were to occur.
In any case, Celeste feels that all they need is common sense – like remembering to tear up sensitive documents before throwing them in the recycling bin. Felicia hopes that she’s right, and that all of her concerns will be put to rest next month when their new business consultant (who is also a privacy professional) arrives from North Carolina.
Which law will be most relevant to Felicia’s plan to ask applicants about drug addiction?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
When there was a data breach involving customer personal and financial information at a large retail store, the company’s directors were shocked. However, Roberta, a privacy analyst at the company and a victim of identity theft herself, was not. Prior to the breach, she had been working on a privacy program report for the executives. How the company shared and handled data across its organization was a major concern. There were neither adequate rules about access to customer information nor
procedures for purging and destroying outdated data. In her research, Roberta had discovered that even low- level employees had access to all of the company’s customer data, including financial records, and that the company still had in its possession obsolete customer data going back to the 1980s.
Her report recommended three main reforms. First, permit access on an as-needs-to-know basis. This would mean restricting employees’ access to customer information to data that was relevant to the work performed. Second, create a highly secure database for storing customers’ financial information (e.g., credit card and bank account numbers) separate from less sensitive information. Third, identify outdated customer information and then develop a process for securely disposing of it.
When the breach occurred, the company’s executives called Roberta to a meeting where she presented the recommendations in her report. She explained that the company having a national customer base meant it would have to ensure that it complied with all relevant state breach notification laws. Thanks to Roberta’s guidance, the company was able to notify customers quickly and within the specific timeframes set by state breach notification laws.
Soon after, the executives approved the changes to the privacy program that Roberta recommended in her report. The privacy program is far more effective now because of these changes and, also, because privacy and security are now considered the responsibility of every employee.
What could the company have done differently prior to the breach to reduce their risk?
A large online bookseller decides to contract with a vendor to manage Personal Information (PI). What is the
least important factor for the company to consider when selecting the vendor?
What does the Massachusetts Personal Information Security Regulation require as it relates to encryption of personal information?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires schools to do all of the following EXCEPT?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
When there was a data breach involving customer personal and financial information at a large retail store, the company’s directors were shocked. However, Roberta, a privacy analyst at the company and a victim of identity theft herself, was not. Prior to the breach, she had been working on a privacy program report for the executives. How the company shared and handled data across its organization was a major concern. There were neither adequate rules about access to customer information nor
procedures for purging and destroying outdated data. In her research, Roberta had discovered that even low- level employees had access to all of the company’s customer data,including financial records, and that the company still had in its possession obsolete customer data going back to the 1980s.
Her report recommended three main reforms. First, permit access on an as-needs-to-know basis. This would mean restricting employees’ access to customer information to data that was relevant to the work performed. Second, create a highly secure database for storing customers’ financial information (e.g., credit card and bank account numbers) separate from less sensitive information. Third, identify outdated customer information and then develop a process for securely disposing of it.
When the breach occurred, the company’s executives called Roberta to a meeting where she presented the recommendations in her report. She explained that the company having a national customer base meant it would have to ensure that it complied with all relevant state breach notification laws. Thanks to Roberta’s guidance, the company was able to notify customers quickly and within the specific timeframes set by state breach notification laws.
Soon after, the executives approved the changes to the privacy program that Roberta recommended in her report. The privacy program is far more effective now because of these changes and, also, because privacy and security are now considered the responsibility of every employee.
Based on the problems with the company’s privacy security that Roberta identifies, what is the most likely cause of the breach?
Which of the following federal agencies does NOT have regulatory authority related to privacy?
What practice do courts commonly require in order to protect certain personal information on documents, whether paper or electronic, that is involved in litigation?
Which of the following is an important implication of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
Otto is preparing a report to his Board of Directors at Filtration Station, where he is responsible for the privacy program. Filtration Station is a U.S. company that sells filters and tubing products to pharmaceutical companies for research use. The company is based in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout the U.S. and Asia. It sells to business customers across both the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. Filtration Station participates in the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system of the APEC Privacy Framework.
Unfortunately, Filtration Station suffered a data breach in the previous quarter. An unknown third party was able
to gain access to Filtration Station’s network and was able to steal data relating to employees in the company’s Human Resources database, which is hosted by a third-party cloud provider based in the U.S. The HR data is encrypted. Filtration Station also uses the third-party cloud provider to host its business marketing contact database. The marketing database was not affected by the data breach. It appears that the data breach was caused when a system administrator at the cloud provider stored the encryption keys with the data itself.
The Board has asked Otto to provide information about the data breach and how updates on new developments in privacy laws and regulations apply to Filtration Station. They are particularly concerned about staying up to date on the various U.S. state laws and regulations that have been in the news, especially the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and breach notification requirements.
The Board has asked Otto whether the company will need to comply with the new California Consumer Privacy Law (CCPA). What should Otto tell the Board?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Larry has become increasingly dissatisfied with his telemarketing position at SunriseLynx, and particularly with his supervisor, Evan. Just last week, he overheard Evan mocking the state’s Do Not Call list, as well as the people on it. “If they were really serious about not being bothered,” Evan said, “They’d be on the national DNC list. That’s the only one we’re required to follow. At SunriseLynx, we call until they ask us not to.”
Bizarrely, Evan requires telemarketers to keep records of recipients who ask them to call “another time.” This, to Larry, is a clear indication that they don’t want to be called at all. Evan doesn’t see it that way.
Larry believes that Evan’s arrogance also affects the way he treats employees. The U.S. Constitution protects American workers, and Larry believes that the rights of those at SunriseLynx are violated regularly. At first Evan seemed friendly, even connecting with employees on social media. However, following Evan’s political posts, it became clear to Larry that employees with similar affiliations were the only ones offered promotions.
Further, Larry occasionally has packages containing personal-use items mailed to work. Several times, these have come to him already opened, even though this name was clearly marked. Larry thinks the opening of personal mail is common at SunriseLynx, and that Fourth Amendment rights are being trampled under Evan’s leadership.
Larry has also been dismayed to overhear discussions about his coworker, Sadie. Telemarketing calls are regularly recorded for quality assurance, and although Sadie is always professional during business, her personal conversations sometimes contain sexual comments. This too is something Larry has heard Evan laughing about. When he mentioned this to a coworker, his concern was met with a shrug. It was the coworker’s belief that employees agreed to be monitored when they signed on. Although personal devices are left alone, phone calls, emails and browsing histories are all subject to surveillance. In fact, Larry knows of one case in which an employee was fired after an undercover investigation by an outside firm turned up evidence of misconduct. Although the employee may have stolen from the company, Evan could have simply contacted the authorities when he first suspected something amiss.
Larry wants to take action, but is uncertain how to proceed.
Which act would authorize Evan’s undercover investigation?
In March 2012, the FTC released a privacy report that outlined three core principles for companies handling consumer data. Which was NOT one of these principles?
Global Manufacturing Co’s Human Resources department recently purchased a new software tool. This tool helps evaluate future candidates for executive roles by scanning emails to see what those candidates say and what is said about them. This provides the HR department with an automated “360 review” that lets them know how the candidate thinks and operates, what their peers and direct reports say about them, and how well they interact with each other.
What is the most important step for the Human Resources Department to take when implementing this new software?
Which of the following practices is NOT a key component of a data ethics framework?
Which of the following best describes the ASIA-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) principles?
Which of the following types of information would an organization generally NOT be required to disclose to law enforcement?
How did the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)?
Which of the following became the first state to pass a law specifically regulating the practices of data brokers?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Cheryl is the sole owner of Fitness Coach, Inc., a medium-sized company that helps individuals realize their physical fitness goals through classes, individual instruction, and access to an extensive indoor gym. She has owned the company for ten years and has always been concerned about protecting customer’s privacy while maintaining the highest level of service. She is proud that she has built long-lasting customer relationships.
Although Cheryl and her staff have tried to make privacy protection a priority, the company has no formal privacy policy. So Cheryl hired Janice, a privacy professional, to help her develop one.
After an initial assessment, Janice created a first of a new policy. Cheryl read through the draft and was concerned about the many changes the policy would bring throughout the company. For example, the draft policy stipulates that a customer’s personal information can only be held for one year after paying for a service such as a session with personal trainer. It also promises that customer information will not be shared with third parties without the written consent of the customer. The wording of these rules worry Cheryl since stored personal information often helps her company to serve her customers, even if there are long pauses between their visits. In addition, there are some third parties that provide crucial services, such as aerobics instructors who teach classes on a contract basis. Having access to customer files and understanding the fitness levels of their students helps instructors to organize their classes.
Janice understood Cheryl’s concerns and was already formulating some ideas for revision. She tried to put Cheryl at ease by pointing out that customer data can still be kept, but that it should be classified according to levels of sensitivity. However, Cheryl was skeptical. It seemed that classifying data and treating each type differently would cause undue difficulties in the company’s day-to-day operations. Cheryl wants one simple data storage and access system that any employee can access if needed.
Even though the privacy policy was only a draft, she was beginning to see that changes within her company were going to be necessary. She told Janice that she would be more comfortable with implementing the new policy gradually over a period of several months, one department at a time. She was also interested in a layered approach by creating documents listing applicable parts of the new policy for each department.
What is the main problem with Cheryl’s suggested method of communicating the new privacy policy?
Under state breach notification laws, which is NOT typically included in the definition of personal information?
Which of the following best describes an employer’s privacy-related responsibilities to an employee who has left the workplace?
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
A US-based startup company is selling a new gaming application. One day, the CEO of the company receives an urgent letter from a prominent EU-based retail partner. Triggered by an unresolved complaint lodged by an EU resident, the letter describes an ongoing investigation by a supervisory authority into the retailer’s data handling practices.
The complainant accuses the retailer of improperly disclosing her personal data, without consent, to parties in the United States. Further, the complainant accuses the EU-based retailer of failing to respond to her
withdrawal of consent and request for erasure of her personal data. Your organization, the US-based startup company, was never informed of this request for erasure by the EU-based retail partner. The supervisory authority investigating the complaint has threatened the suspension of data flows if the parties involved do not cooperate with the investigation. The letter closes with an urgent request: “Please act immediately by identifying all personal data received from our company.”
This is an important partnership. Company executives know that its biggest fans come from Western Europe; and this retailer is primarily responsible for the startup’s rapid market penetration.
As the Company’s data privacy leader, you are sensitive to the criticality of the relationship with the retailer.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), how would the U.S.-based startup company most likely be classified?