GDPR Questions and Answers

Scenario:

Aclinical research organizationcollects and processessensitive personal dataof individuals formedical research purposes. The data isencrypted and stored in a central database using a one-way hashing function (bcrypt). The organization conducted arisk assessmentto identify andmitigate risks.

Question:

Should aDPIA be conductedin this case?

When pseudonymization is used in a dataset, the data is divided into restricted access data and non-identifiable data. This restricted access data includes gender, occupation, and age, whereas the non-identifiable data includes only nationality. Is this correct?

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:

Which of the following options is theDPO’s responsibilitywhen processing personal datarelated to criminal convictionsis carried out by anofficial authority?

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:

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 Basedon 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 the organization'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:

According to scenario 3,Tibko stores archived data on behalf of COR Bank. This means that Tibko is a:

Scenario:

An organization conducted anonline surveyto gather opinions onglobal warming. The survey collected personal data, includingage, nationality, gender, and city of residence.

Question:

What should be considered whenidentifying this processing activity?

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:

Which de-identification method has MA store used when analyzing the shopping preferences of its customers?

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:

According to scenario 8, by storing clients' information in separate databases, MA store used a:

Question:

Which of the followingscenarios does NOT require conducting a DPIA?

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?

Scenario:

An organization has been using astorage transfer serviceto importmarket-sensitive data, includingemail addresses and contact details, into acloud storage system. This change has affected theregistration processand has helped the organizationappropriately collect and store data.

Question:

Based on this scenario, what should theDPO monitorin the data processing register?

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)?

Question:

To evaluate theeffectiveness of communication, theDPO of Company ABCreviewed theaccuracy and relevanceof the information provided to customers regarding personal data processing.

Is this agood practiceunder GDPR?

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 systemacross 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. Step 2: 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:

According to scenario 6, whichdata protection solutionhas Bus Spot used to reduce the risk related to theprinciple of lawfulness, fairness, and transparency?

Scenario:2

Soyled is a retail company that sells a wide range of electronic products from top European brands. It primarily sells its products in its online platforms (which include customer reviews and ratings), despite using physical stores since 2015. Soyled's website and mobile app are used by millions of customers. Soyled has employed various solutions to create a customer-focused ecosystem and facilitate growth. Soyled uses customer relationship management (CRM) software to analyze user data and administer the interaction with customers. The software allows the company to store customer information, identify sales opportunities, and manage marketing campaigns. It automatically obtains information about each user's IP address and web browser cookies. Soyled also uses the software to collect behavioral data, such as users’ repeated actions and mouse movement information. Customers must create an account to buy from Soyled’s online platforms. To do so, they fill out a standard sign-up form of three mandatory boxes (name, surname, email address) and a non-mandatory one (phone number). When the user clicks the email address box, a pop-up message appears as follows: “Soyled needs your email address to grant you access to your account and contact you about any changes related to your account and our website. For further information, please read our privacy policy.' When the user clicks the phone number box, the following message appears: “Soyled may use your phone number to provide text updates on the order status. The phone number may also be used by the shipping courier." Once the personal data is provided, customers create a username and password, which are used to access Soyled's website or app. When customers want to make a purchase, they are also required to provide their bank account details. When the user finally creates the account, the following message appears: “Soyled collects only the personal data it needs for the following purposes: processing orders, managing accounts, and personalizing customers' experience. The collected data is shared with our network and used for marketing purposes." Soyled uses personal data to promote sales and its brand. If a user decides to close the account, the personal data is still used for marketing purposes only. Last month, the company received an email from John, a customer, claiming that his personal data was being used for purposes other than those specified by the company. According to the email, Soyled was using the data for direct marketing purposes. John requested details on how his personal data was collected, stored, and processed. Based on this scenario, answer the following question:

Question:

The GDPR indicates that the processing of personal data should be based on alegal contractwith the data subject. Based on scenario 6, has Soyled fulfilled this requirement?

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. Step 2: 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 topmanagement 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:

Based on scenario 6, Bus Spot decidednot to appoint a DPOwhen conducting the DPIA.

Which option iscorrectregarding this situation?

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'scompromised 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:

Based on scenario 7, didEduCCS comply with GDPRregardingdata breach notification requirements?

Which of the statements below related to compliance monitoring is correct?