An organization suffered a personal data breach. The attackers gained access to their database through a user account that had unlimited access to data. What should the DPO advise the organization to do in order to prevent the recurrence of similar scenarios?
Scenario3:
COR Bank is an international banking group that operates in 31 countries. It was formed as the merger of two well-known investment banks in Germany. Their two main fields of business are retail and investment banking. COR Bank provides innovative solutions for services such as payments, cash management, savings, protection insurance, and real-estate services. COR Bank has a large number of clients and transactions. Therefore, they process large information, including clients' personal data. Some of the data from the application processes of COR Bank, including archived data, is operated by Tibko, an IT services company located in Canada. To ensure compliance with the GDPR, COR Bank and Tibko have reached a data processing agreement Based on the agreement, the purpose and conditions of data processing are determined by COR Bank. However, Tibko is allowed to make technical decisions for storing the data based on its own expertise. COR Bank aims to remain a trustworthy bank and a long-term partner for its clients. Therefore, they devote special attention to legal compliance. They started the implementation process of a GDPR compliance program in 2018. The first step was to analyze the existing resources and procedures. Lisa was appointed as the data protection officer (DPO). Being the information security manager of COR Bank for many years, Lisa had knowledge of theorganization's core activities. She was previously involved in most of the processes related to information systems management and data protection. Lisa played a key role in achieving compliance to the GDPR by advising the company regarding data protection obligations and creating a data protection strategy. After obtaining evidence of the existing data protection policy, Lisa proposed to adapt the policy to specific requirements of GDPR. Then, Lisa implemented the updates of the policy within COR Bank. To ensure consistency between processes of different departments within the organization, Lisa has constantly communicated with all heads of GDPR. Then, Lisa implemented the updates of the policy within COR Bank. To ensure consistency between processes of different departments within the organization, Lisa has constantly communicated with all heads of departments. As the DPO, she had access to several departments, including HR and Accounting Department. This assured the organization that there was a continuous cooperation between them. The activities of some departments within COR Bank are closely related to data protection. Therefore, considering their expertise, Lisa was advised from the top management to take orders from the heads of those departments when taking decisions related to their field. Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
Lisa implemented the updates to the data protection policy. Is she responsible for this under GDPR?
Scenario1:
MED is a healthcare provider located in Norway. It provides high-quality and affordable healthcare services, including disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Founded in 1995, MED is one of the largest health organizations in the private sector. The company has constantly evolved in response to patients' needs.
Patients that schedule an appointment in MED's medical centers initially need to provide their personal information, including name, surname, address, phone number, and date of birth. Further checkups or admission require additional information, including previous medical history and genetic data. When providing their personal data, patients are informed that the data is used for personalizing treatments and improving communication with MED's doctors. Medical data of patients, including children, are stored in the database of MED's health information system. MED allows patients who are at least 16 years old to use the system and provide their personal information independently. For children below the age of 16, MED requires consent from the holder of parental responsibility before processing their data.
MED uses a cloud-based application that allows patients and doctors to upload and access information. Patients can save all personal medical data, including test results, doctor visits, diagnosis history, and medicine prescriptions, as well as review and track them at any time. Doctors, on the other hand, can access their patients' data through the application and can add information as needed.
Patients who decide to continue their treatment at another health institution can request MED to transfer their data. However, even if patients decide to continue their treatment elsewhere, their personal data is still used by MED. Patients’ requests to stop data processing are rejected. This decision was made by MED’s top management to retain the information of everyone registered in their databases.
The company also shares medical data with InsHealth, a health insurance company. MED's data helps InsHealth create health insurance plans that meet the needs of individuals and families.
MED believes that it is its responsibility to ensure the security and accuracy of patients’ personal data. Based on the identified risks associated with data processing activities, MED has implemented appropriate security measures to ensure that data is securely stored and processed.
Since personal data of patients is stored and transmitted over the internet, MED uses encryption to avoid unauthorized processing, accidental loss, or destruction of data. The company has established a security policy to define the levels of protection required for each type of information and processing activity. MED has communicated the policy and other procedures to personnel and provided customized training to ensure proper handling of data processing.
Question:
If a patient requests MED to permanently erase their data, MED should:
Bus Spot is one of the largest bus operators in Spain. The company operates in local transport and bus rental since 2009. The success of Bus Spot can be attributed to the digitization of the bus ticketing system, through which clients can easily book tickets and stay up to date on any changes to their arrival or departure time. In recent years, due to the large number of passengers transported daily. Bus Spot has dealt with different incidents including vandalism, assaults on staff, and fraudulent injury claims. Considering the severity of these incidents, the need for having strong security measures had become crucial. Last month, the company decided to install a CCTV system across its network of buses. This security measure was taken to monitor the behavior of the company's employees and passengers, enabling crime prevention and ensuring safety and security. Following this decision, Bus Spot initiated a data protection impact assessment (DPIA). The outcome of each step of the DPIA was documented as follows: Step 1: In all 150 buses, two CCTV cameras will be installed. Only individuals authorized by Bus Spot will have access to the information generated by the CCTV system. CCTV cameras capture images only when the Bus Spot's buses are being used. The CCTV cameras will record images and sound. The information is transmitted to a video recorder and stored for 20 days. In case of incidents, CCTV recordings may be stored for more than 40 days and disclosed to a law enforcement body. Data collected through the CCTV system will be processed bv another organization. The purpose of processing this tvoe of information is to increase the security and safety of individuals and prevent criminal activity. Step2: All employees of Bus Spot were informed for the installation of a CCTV system. As the data controller, Bus Spot will have the ultimate responsibility to conduct the DPIA. Appointing a DPO at that point was deemed unnecessary. However, the data processor’s suggestions regarding the CCTV installation were taken into account. Step 3: Risk Likelihood (Unlikely, Possible, Likely) Severity (Moderate, Severe, Critical) Overall risk (Low, Medium, High) There is a risk that the principle of lawfulness, fairness, and transparency will be compromised since individuals might not be aware of the CCTV location and its field of view. Likely Moderate Low There is a risk that the principle of integrity and confidentiality may be compromised in case the CCTV system is not monitored and controlled with adequate security measures. Possible Severe Medium There is a risk related to the right of individuals to be informed regarding the installation of CCTV cameras. Possible Moderate Low Step 4: Bus Spot will provide appropriate training to individuals that have access to the information generated by the CCTV system. In addition, it will ensure that the employees of the data processor are trained as well. In each entrance of the bus, a sign for the use of CCTV will be displayed. The sign will be visible and readable by all passengers. It will show other details such as the purpose of its use, the identity of Bus Spot, and its contact number in case there are any queries. Only two employees of Bus Spot will be authorized to access the CCTV system. They will continuously monitor it and report any unusual behavior of bus drivers or passengers to Bus Spot. The requests of individuals that are subject to a criminal activity for accessing the CCTV images will be evaluated only for a limited period of time. If the access is allowed, the CCTV images will be exported by the CCTV system to an appropriate file format. Bus Spot will use a file encryption software to encrypt data before transferring onto another file format. Step 5: Bus Spot's top management has evaluated the DPIA results for the processing of data through CCTV system. The actions suggested to address the identified risks have been approved and will be implemented based on best practices. This DPIA involves the analysis of the risks and impacts in only a group of buses located in the capital of Spain. Therefore, the DPIA will be reconducted for each of Bus Spot's buses in Spain before installing the CCTV system. Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
You are appointed as theDPO of Bus Spot.
What action would yousuggestwhen reviewing the results of theDPIApresented in scenario 6?
Scenario:
A financial institution collectsbiometric data of its clients, such asface recognition, to support apayment authentication processthat they recently developed. The institution ensures thatdata subjects provide explicit consentfor the processing of theirbiometric datafor this specific purpose.
Question:
Based on this scenario, should theDPO advise the organization to conduct a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment)?
Scenario 9:Soin is a French travel agency with the largest network of professional travel agentsthroughout Europe. They aim to create unique vacations for clients regardless of the destinations they seek. The company specializes in helping people find plane tickets, reservations at hotels, cruises, and other activities.
As any other industry, travel is no exception when it comes to GDPR compliance. Soin was directly affected by the enforcement of GDPR since its main activities require the collection and processing of customers’ data. Data collected by Soin includes customer's ID or passport details, financial and payment information, and contact information. This type of data is defined as personal by the GDPR; hence, Soin's data processing activities are built based on customer's consent.
At the beginning, as for many other companies, GDPR compliance was a complicated issue for Soin. However, the process was completed within a few months and later on the company appointed a DPO. Last year, the supervisory authority of France, requested the conduct of a data protection external audit in Soin without an early notice. To ensure GDPR compliance before an external audit was conducted, Soin organized an internal audit. The data protection internal audit was conducted by the DPO of the company. The audit was initiated by firstly confirming the accuracy of records related to all current Soin's data processing activities. The DPO considered that verifying compliance to Article 30 of GDPR would help in defining the data protection internal audit scope. The DPO noticed that not all processing activities of Soin were documented as required by the GDPR. For example, processing activities records of the company did not include a description of transfers of personal data to third countries. In addition, there was no clear description of categories of personal data processed by the company. Other areas that were audited included content of data protection policy, data retention guidelines, how sensitive data is stored, and security policies and practices. The DPO conducted interviews with some employees at different levels of the company. During the audit, the DPO came across some emails sent by Soin's clients claiming that they do not have access in their personal data stored by Soin. Soin's Customer Service Department answered the emails saying that, based on Soin's policies, a client cannot have access to personal data stored by the company. Based on the information gathered, the DPO concluded that there was a lack of employee awareness on the GDPR.
All these findings were documented in the audit report. Once the audit was completed, the DPO drafted action plans to resolve the nonconformities found. Firstly, the DPO created a new procedure which could ensure the right of access to clients. All employees were provided with GDPR compliance awareness sessions. Moreover, the DPO established a document which described the transfer of personal data to third countries and the applicability of safeguards when this transfer is done to an international organization.
Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Soin’s DPO conducted an internal data protection audit. Is this acceptable?
Scenario:
Bankbiois a financial institution that handlespersonal dataof its customers. Itsdata processing activities involve processingthat is necessary for thelegitimate interestspursued by the institution. In such cases, Bankbio processes personal datawithout obtaining consent from data subjects.
Question:
Is the data processinglawful under GDPR?
Scenario 7: EduCCS is an online education platform based in Netherlands. EduCCS helps organizations find, manage, and deliver their corporate training. Most of EduCCS's clients are EU residents. EduCCS is one of the few education organizations that have achieved GDPR compliance since 2019. Their DPO is a full-time employee who has been engaged in most data protection processes within the organization. In addition to facilitating GDPR compliance, the DPO acts as an intermediary point between EduCCS and other relevant interested parties. EduCCS's users can benefit from the variety of up-to-date training library and the possibility of accessing it through their phones, tablets, or computers. EduCCS's services are offered through two main platforms: online learning and digital training. To use one of these platforms, users should sign on EduCCS's website by providing their personal information. Online learning is a platform in which employees of other organizations can search for and request the training they need. Through its digital training platform, on the other hand, EduCCS manages the entire training and education program for other organizations. Organizations that need this type of service need to provide information about their core activities and areas where training sessions are needed. This information is then analyzed by EduCCS and a customized training program is provided. In the beginning, all IT-related services were managed by two employees of EduCCS. However, after acquiring a large number of clients, managing these services became challenging That is why EduCCS decided to outsource the IT service function to X-Tech. X-Tech provides IT support and is responsible for ensuring the security of EduCCS's network and systems. In addition, X-Tech stores and archives EduCCS's information including their training programs and clients' and employees' data. Recently, X-Tech made headlines in the technology press for being a victim of a phishing attack. A group of three attackers hacked X-Tech’s systems via a phishing campaign which targeted the employees of the Marketing Department. By compromising X-Tech's mail server, hackers were able to gain access to more than 200 computer systems. Consequently, access to the networks of EduCCS’s clients was also allowed. Using EduCCS's employee accounts, attackers installed a remote access tool on EduCCS's compromised systems. By doing so, they gained access to personal information of EduCCS's clients, training programs, and other information stored in its online payment system. The attack was detected by X-Tech’s system administrator. After detecting unusual activity in X-Tech’s network, they immediately reported it to the incident management team of the company. One week after being notified about the personal data breach, EduCCS communicated the incident to the supervisory authority with a document that outlined the reasons for the delay revealing that due to the lack of regular testing or modification, their incident response plan was not adequately preparedto handle such an attack.Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
Based on scenario 7, due to the attack, personal data ofEduCCS' clients(such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers) were unlawfully accessed.
According to GDPR,when must EduCCS inform its clientsabout this personal data breach?
Scenario:
An organization suffered apersonal data breachdue to aphishing emailattack, which allowed attackers to access employee names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
Question:
What could theDPO do to preventa similar breach from happening again?
Which statement below regarding the difference between anonymization and pseudonymization is correct?
Scenario 9:Soin is a French travel agency with the largest network of professional travel agents throughout Europe. They aim to create unique vacations for clients regardless of the destinations they seek. The company specializes in helping people find plane tickets, reservations at hotels, cruises, and other activities.
As any other industry, travel is no exception when it comes to GDPR compliance. Soin was directly affected by the enforcement of GDPR since its main activities require the collection and processing of customers’ data. Data collected by Soin includes customer's ID or passport details, financial and payment information, and contact information. This type of data is defined as personal by the GDPR; hence, Soin's data processing activities are built based on customer's consent.
At the beginning, as for many other companies, GDPR compliance was a complicated issue for Soin. However, the process was completed within a few months and later on the company appointed a DPO. Last year, the supervisory authority of France, requested the conduct of a data protection external audit in Soin without an early notice. To ensure GDPR compliance before an external audit was conducted, Soin organized an internal audit. The data protection internal audit was conducted by the DPO of the company. The audit was initiated by firstly confirming the accuracy of records related to all current Soin's data processing activities. The DPO considered that verifying compliance to Article 30 of GDPR would help in defining the data protection internal audit scope. The DPO noticed that not all processing activities of Soin were documented as required by the GDPR. For example, processing activities records of the company did not include a description of transfers of personal data to third countries. In addition, there was no clear description of categories of personal data processed by the company. Other areas that were audited included content of data protection policy, data retention guidelines, how sensitive data is stored, and security policies and practices. The DPO conducted interviews with some employees at different levels of the company. During the audit, the DPO came across some emails sent by Soin's clients claiming that they do not have access in their personal data stored by Soin. Soin's Customer Service Department answered the emails saying that, based on Soin's policies, a client cannot have access to personal data stored by the company. Based on the information gathered, the DPO concluded that there was a lack of employee awareness on the GDPR.
All these findings were documented in the audit report. Once the audit was completed, the DPO drafted action plans to resolve the nonconformities found. Firstly, the DPO created a new procedure which could ensure the right of access to clients. All employees were provided with GDPR compliance awareness sessions. Moreover, the DPO established a document which described the transfer of personal data to third countries and the applicability of safeguards when this transfer is done to an international organization.
Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Can the DPO appointed by Soin carry out the data protection external audit requested by the supervisory authority?
Scenario4:
Berc is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, known for developing inexpensive improved healthcare products. They want to expand to developing life-saving treatments. Berc has been engaged in many medical researches and clinical trials over the years. These projects required the processing of large amounts of data, including personal information. Since 2019, Berc has pursued GDPR compliance to regulate data processing activities and ensure data protection. Berc aims to positively impact human health through the use of technology and the power of collaboration. They recently have created an innovative solution in participation with Unity, a pharmaceutical company located in Switzerland. They want to enable patients to identify signs of strokes or other health-related issues themselves. They wanted to create a medical wrist device that continuously monitors patients' heart rate and notifies them about irregular heartbeats. The first step of the project was to collect information from individuals aged between 50 and 65. The purpose and means of processing were determined by both companies. The information collected included age, sex, ethnicity, medical history, and current medical status. Other information included names, dates of birth, and contact details. However, the individuals, who were mostly Berc's and Unity’s customers, were not aware that there was an arrangement between Berc and Unity and that both companies have access to their personal data and share it between them. Berc outsourced the marketing of their new product to an international marketing company located in a country that had not adopted the adequacy decision from the EU commission. However, since they offered a good marketing campaign, following the DPO's advice, Berc contracted it. The marketing campaign included advertisement through telephone, emails, and social media. Berc requested that Berc’s and Unity’s clients be first informed about the product. They shared the contact details of clients with the marketing company.Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
According to scenario 4,individuals from whom the health data was collected were not informed about the arrangement between Berc and Unty. Which option below is correct?
Question:
A patientgave consentfor the use of theirlaboratory teststo defend a clinical laboratory against a lawsuit. As a result, thecourt required the collection and processing of the patient's health data, and such information wasrevealed in court.
Is thiscompliantwith GDPR'slawfulness of processingrequirements?
Scenario:
Ashop ownerdecided to install avideo surveillance systemto protect the property against theft. However, thecameras also capture a considerable part of the store next door.
Question:
Which statement below iscorrectin this case?
Scenario 9:Soin is a French travel agency with the largest network of professional travel agents throughout Europe. They aim to create unique vacations for clients regardless of the destinations they seek. The company specializes in helping people find plane tickets, reservations at hotels, cruises, and other activities.
As any other industry, travel is no exception when it comes to GDPR compliance. Soin was directly affected by the enforcement of GDPR since its main activities require the collection and processing of customers’ data. Data collected by Soin includes customer's ID or passport details, financial and payment information, and contact information. This type of data is defined as personal by the GDPR; hence, Soin's data processing activities are built based on customer's consent.
At the beginning, as for many other companies, GDPR compliance was a complicated issue for Soin. However, the process was completed within a few months and later on the company appointed a DPO. Last year, the supervisory authority of France, requested the conduct of a data protection external audit in Soin without an early notice. To ensure GDPR compliance before an external audit was conducted, Soin organized an internal audit. The data protection internal audit was conducted by the DPO of the company. The audit was initiated by firstly confirming the accuracy of records related to all current Soin's data processing activities. The DPO considered that verifying compliance to Article 30 of GDPR would help in defining the data protection internal audit scope. The DPO noticed that not all processing activities of Soin were documented as required by the GDPR. For example, processing activities records of the company did not include a description of transfers of personal data to third countries. In addition, there was no clear description of categories of personal data processed by the company. Other areas that were audited included content of data protection policy, data retention guidelines, how sensitive data is stored, and security policies and practices. The DPO conducted interviews with some employees at different levels of the company. During the audit, the DPO came across some emails sent by Soin's clients claiming that they do not have access in their personal data stored by Soin. Soin's Customer Service Department answered the emails saying that, based on Soin's policies, a client cannot have access to personal data stored by the company. Based on the information gathered, the DPO concluded that there was a lack of employee awareness on the GDPR.
All these findings were documented in the audit report. Once the audit was completed, the DPO drafted action plans to resolve the nonconformities found. Firstly, the DPO created a new procedure which could ensure the right of access to clients. All employees were provided with GDPR compliance awareness sessions. Moreover, the DPO established a document which described the transfer of personal data to third countries and the applicability of safeguards when this transfer is done to an international organization.
Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Based on scenario 9, the supervisory authority requested the conduct of a data protection audit in Soin without early notice. Is this acceptable?
Scenario 7: EduCCS is an online education platform based in Netherlands. EduCCS helps organizations find, manage, and deliver their corporate training. Most of EduCCS's clients are EU residents. EduCCS is one of the few education organizations that have achieved GDPR compliance since 2019. Their DPO is a full-time employee who has been engaged in most data protection processes within the organization. In addition to facilitating GDPR compliance, the DPO acts as an intermediary point between EduCCS and other relevant interested parties. EduCCS's users can benefit from the variety of up-to-date training library and the possibility of accessing it through their phones, tablets, or computers. EduCCS's services are offered through two main platforms: online learning and digital training. To use one of these platforms, users should sign on EduCCS's website by providing their personal information. Online learning is a platform in which employees of other organizations can search for and request the training they need. Through its digital training platform, on the other hand, EduCCS manages the entire training and education program for other organizations. Organizations that need this type of service need to provide information about their core activities and areas where training sessions are needed. This information is then analyzed by EduCCS and a customized training program is provided. In the beginning, all IT-related serviceswere managed by two employees of EduCCS. However, after acquiring a large number of clients, managing these services became challenging That is why EduCCS decided to outsource the IT service function to X-Tech. X-Tech provides IT support and is responsible for ensuring the security of EduCCS's network and systems. In addition, X-Tech stores and archives EduCCS's information including their training programs and clients' and employees' data. Recently, X-Tech made headlines in the technology press for being a victim of a phishing attack. A group of three attackers hacked X-Tech’s systems via a phishing campaign which targeted the employees of the Marketing Department. By compromising X-Tech's mail server, hackers were able to gain access to more than 200 computer systems. Consequently, access to the networks of EduCCS’s clients was also allowed. Using EduCCS's employee accounts, attackers installed a remote access tool on EduCCS's compromised systems. By doing so, they gained access to personal information of EduCCS's clients, training programs, and other information stored in its online payment system. The attack was detected by X-Tech’s system administrator. After detecting unusual activity in X-Tech’s network, they immediately reported it to the incident management team of the company. One week after being notified about the personal data breach, EduCCS communicated the incident to the supervisory authority with a document that outlined the reasons for the delay revealing that due to the lack of regular testing or modification, their incident response plan was not adequately prepared to handle such an attack.Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
What is therole of EduCCS' DPOin the situation described inscenario 7?
Question:
UnderGDPR, the controller must demonstrate thatdata subjects have consentedto the processing of their personal data, and theconsent must be freely given.
What is therole of the DPO in ensuring compliancewith this requirement?
Scenario 8:MA store is an online clothing retailer founded in 2010. They provide quality products at a reasonable cost. One thing that differentiates MA store from other online shopping sites is their excellent customer service.
MA store follows a customer-centered business approach. They have created a user-friendly website with well-organized content that is accessible to everyone. Through innovative ideas and services, MA store offers a seamless user experience for visitors while also attracting new customers. When visiting the website, customers can filter their search results by price, size, customer reviews, and other features. One of MA store's strategies for providing, personalizing, and improving its products is data analytics. MA store tracks and analyzes the user actions on its website so it can create customized experience for visitors.
In order to understand their target audience, MA store analyzes shopping preferences of its customers based on their purchase history. The purchase history includes the product that was bought, shipping updates, and payment details. Clients' personal data and other information related to MA store products included in the purchase history are stored in separate databases. Personal information, such as clients' address or payment details, are encrypted using a public key. When analyzing the shopping preferences of customers, employees access only the information about the product while the identity of customers is removed from the data set and replaced with a common value, ensuring that customer identities are protected and cannot be retrieved.
Last year, MA store announced that they suffered a personal data breach where personal data of clients were leaked. The personal data breach was caused by an SQL injection attack which targeted MA store’s web application. The SQL injection was successful since no parameterized queries were used.
Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
How could MA store prevent the SQL attack described in scenario 8?
Scenario4:
Berc is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, known for developing inexpensive improved healthcare products. They want to expand to developing life-saving treatments. Berc has been engaged in many medical researches and clinical trials over the years. These projects required the processing of large amounts of data, including personal information. Since 2019, Berc has pursued GDPR compliance to regulate data processing activities and ensure data protection. Berc aims to positively impact human health through the use of technology and the power of collaboration. They recently have created an innovative solution in participation with Unty, a pharmaceutical company located in Switzerland. They want to enable patients to identify signs of strokes or other health-related issues themselves. They wanted to create a medical wrist device that continuously monitors patients' heart rate and notifies them about irregular heartbeats. The first step of the project was to collect information from individuals aged between 50 and 65. The purpose and means of processing were determined by both companies. The information collected included age, sex, ethnicity, medical history, and current medical status. Other information included names, dates of birth, and contact details. However, the individuals, who were mostly Berc's and Unty's customers, were not aware that there was an arrangement between Berc and Unty and that both companies have access to their personal data and share it between them. Berc outsourced the marketing of their new product to an international marketing company located in a country that had not adopted the adequacy decision from the EU commission. However, since they offered a good marketing campaign, following the DPO's advice, Berc contracted it. The marketing campaign included advertisement through telephone, emails, and social media. Berc requested that Berc’s and Unty's clients be first informed about the product. They shared the contact details of clients with the marketing company.Based on this scenario, answer the following question:
Question:
Based on scenario 4, Bercshared personal information of its clients with an international marketing companyeven thoughan adequacy decision was absent. Which of the following is avalid reasonto do so?