CIPP-US Exam Dumps - IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional Questions and Answers

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act is a law passed in 2003 that establishes the first national standards for the sending of commercial e-mail in the United States. The law requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce its provisions. The law applies to any commercial e-mail message, which is defined as any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service. The law does not apply to transactional or relationship messages, which are messages that facilitate an agreed-upon transaction or update a customer about an existing business relationship. The law also does not apply to non-commercial messages, such as political or charitable solicitations12

The CAN-SPAM Act is intended to help consumers by giving them more control over the commercial e-mails they receive. The law does not require companies to obtain prior consent (opt-in) from consumers before sending them commercial e-mails, but it does require companies to honor consumers’ requests to stop receiving such e-mails (opt-out). The law specifies that each commercial e-mail message must include a clear and conspicuous notice of the opportunity to decline to receive further messages from the sender, and a valid physical postal address of the sender. The sender must provide a functioning return e-mail address or other Internet-based mechanism that allows the recipient to submit an opt-out request. The sender must honor the opt-out request within 10 business days and must not sell, exchange, or transferthe e-mail address of the opt-out requester to another entity, unless the other entity is acting as an agent of the sender12

By requiring companies to allow consumers to opt-out of future e-mails, the CAN-SPAM Act aims to reduce the amount of unwanted and unsolicited commercial e-mail that consumers receive, and to protect their privacy and preferences. The law also imposes other requirements on companies that send commercial e-mails, such as banning false or misleading header information and deceptive subject lines, requiring the identification of the message as an advertisement, and requiring the labeling of sexually explicit content. The law also authorizes the FTC and other federal agencies to enforce the law and impose civil penalties for violations12

References:

Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act)

IAPP CIPP/US Certified Information Privacy Professional Study Guide, Chapter 4: Federal Privacy Laws, Section 4.4: The CAN-SPAM Act

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a federal law that regulates the privacy and security of health information in the United States. HIPAA preempts state laws that are contrary to its provisions, unless the state laws provide more stringent protections for health information12 HIPAA establishes a floor of federal standards for health information privacy and security, but allows states to enact laws that are more protective of individuals’ rights34 For example, some states may require more specific consent from individuals before disclosing their health information, or impose stricter penalties for violations of health information privacy and security. HIPAA also provides exceptions for certain state laws that serve a compelling public interest, such as public health, safety, or welfare.References: https://www.findlaw.com/litigation/legal-system/the-supremacy-clause-and-the-doctrine-of-preemption.html

https://www.bonalaw.com/insights/legal-resources/when-does-federal-law-preempt-state-law

The FTC is the primary federal agency responsible for enforcing privacy and data security laws in the United States. The FTC has broad jurisdiction over most commercial entities that collect, use, or share personal information from consumers. The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, which includes unfair or deceptive privacy practices. The FTC can bring enforcement actions against companies that violate their own privacy policies, fail to provide adequate notice or choice to consumers, engage in unfair or harmful data practices, or breach consumers’ reasonable expectations of privacy. The FTC can also issue rules, guidelines, and reports on privacy and data security issues, as well as conduct investigations, workshops, and educational campaigns. References:

IAPP CIPP/US Body of Knowledge, Section I.A.1.a

IAPP CIPP/US Textbook, Chapter 1, pp. 9-12

FTC Privacy and Security Enforcement

The lawsuit, filed in 2014, claimed that Google violated the federal and state wiretap and privacy laws by scanning and indexing the emails of millions of students who used its Apps for Education suite, which included Gmail as a key feature12. The plaintiffs alleged that Google used the information from the scans to build profiles of students that could be used for targeted advertising or other commercial purposes, without their consent or knowledge12. The lawsuit also challenged Google’s argument that the students consented to the scans when they first logged in to their accounts, saying that such consent was not valid under FERPA, which requires written consent for any disclosure of education records12. Google denied the allegations and argued that the scans were necessary for providing security, spam protection, and other functionality to the users12. The case was settled in 2016, with Google agreeing to change some of its practices and policies regarding the scanning of student emails3. References: 1: Lawsuit Alleges That Google Has Crossed A ‘Creepy Line’ With Student Data, Huffington Post, 1. 2: Google faces lawsuit over email scanning and student data, The Guardian, 2. 3: Google data case to be heard in Supreme Court, BBC, 3.

When selecting a vendor to manage personal information, the company should consider various criteria, such as the vendor’s reputation, financial health, employee training program, privacy policies, security practices, compliance record, contractual terms, and service quality. However, the vendor’s employee retention rates may not be as important as the other factors, as they do not directly affect the vendor’s ability to protect and process the personal information entrusted to them. While high employee turnover may indicate some issues with the vendor’s management or culture, it may not necessarily impact the vendor’s performance or reliability, as long as the vendor has adequate measures to ensure continuity, accountability, and confidentiality of the personal information they handle. References:

Vendor Selection Process: a Step-by-Step Guide, section “Step 2: Define the vendor selection criteria”

[IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide], p. 81-82, section 3.4.1

[IAPP CIPP/US Body of Knowledge], p. 18-19, section C.2.a

According to the FTC report, the most important directive for businesses is to adopt a “privacy by design” approach, which means integrating privacy protections throughout the entire product lifecycle, from initial design to disposal. This includes implementing reasonable security measures, collecting only the data needed for a specific purpose, retaining data only as long as necessary, and safely disposing of data that is no longer needed. The FTC report also recommends that businesses provide clear and transparent privacy notices, offer consumers meaningful choices about how their data is used, and increase their accountability for data practices. References: FTC Report, IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide (p. 32-33)

The Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) is a federal regulation that applies to telemarketing calls, which are defined as "a plan, program, or campaign which is conducted to induce the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution, by use of one or more telephones and which involves more than one interstate telephone call."1 The TSR requires telemarketers to make specific disclosures, prohibit misrepresentations, limit the times and number of calls, and set payment restrictions for the sale of certain goods and services. TheTSR also gives consumers the right to opt out of receiving telemarketing calls by registering their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.2

The TSR applies to both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, but there are some exemptions and partial exemptions for certain types of entities, calls, and transactions. For example, the TSR does not apply to nonprofit organizations calling on their own behalf, as they are not considered to be engaged in telemarketing. However, if a nonprofit organization hires a for-profit telemarketer or telefunder to solicit charitable contributions on its behalf, the for-profit entity must comply with the TSR, as it is engaged in telemarketing. Similarly, the TSR does not apply to for-profit organizations calling businesses when a binding contract exists between them, as they are not considered to be inducing the purchase of goods or services. However, if a for-profit organization calls businesses to sell additional services to established customers, the TSR applies, as it is considered to be inducing the purchase of goods or services.3

Therefore, among the four options, only for-profit organizations and for-profit telefunders regarding charitable solicitations must comply with the TSR, as they are engaged in telemarketing and do not fall under any of the exemptions or partial exemptions. References: 1: eCFR :: 16 CFR Part 310 – Telemarketing Sales Rule3, Section 310.22: Telemarketing Sales Rule | Federal Trade Commission1, Rule Summary3: Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule - Federal Trade Commission2, Exemptions to the TSR.

Phishing is a form of social engineering that involves sending fraudulent emails or other messages that appear to come from a legitimate source, but are designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such aspasswords, account numbers, or personal identifiers1. Phishing is one of the most common and effective methods of cyberattacks, and it can lead to data breaches, identity theft, ransomware infections, or other serious consequences2. Therefore, training on how to recognize and avoid phishing attempts is crucial for any organization that handles sensitive data, especially ePHI, which is subject to strict regulations under HIPAA3. Training on techniques for identifying phishing attempts can help employees to spot the signs of a phishing email, such as:

Sender’s address or domain name that does not match the expected source or contains spelling errors4

Generic salutations or impersonal tone that do not address the recipient by name or use proper grammar4

Urgent or threatening language that creates a sense of pressure or fear and asks the recipient to take immediate action, such as clicking on a link, opening an attachment, or providing information4

Suspicious links or attachments that may contain malware or lead to fake websites that mimic the appearance of a legitimate site, but have a different URL or request login credentials or other data4

Requests for sensitive information that are unusual or out of context, such as asking for passwords, account numbers, or personal identifiers that the sender should already have or should not need4

Training on techniques for identifying phishing attempts can also help employees to learn how to respond to a phishing email, such as:

Not clicking on any links or opening any attachments in the email4

Not replying to the email or providing any information to the sender4

Reporting the email to the IT department or security team and deleting it from the inbox4

Verifying the legitimacy of the email by contacting the sender directly using a different channel, such as phone or another email address4

Updating the antivirus software and scanning the device for any malware infection4

Training on techniques for identifying phishing attempts is the most effective kind of training that CloudHealth could have given its employees to help prevent this type of data breach, because it would have enabled them to recognize the phishing email that compromised the PHI of more than 10,000 HealthCo patients, and to avoid falling victim to it. Training on the terms of the contractual agreement with HealthCo, the difference between confidential and non-public information, or CloudHealth’s HR policy regarding the role of employees involved in data breaches, while important, would not have been as effective in preventing this specific type of data breach, because they would not have addressed the root cause of the breach, which was the phishing email.

References:

1: IAPP, Phishing, https://iapp.org/resources/glossary/phishing/

2: SpinOne, The Top 5 Phishing Awareness Training Providers 2023, https://spinbackup.com/blog/phishing-awareness-training-best-providers/

3: IAPP, HIPAA, https://iapp.org/resources/glossary/hipaa/

4: Expert Insights, The Top 11 Phishing Awareness Training and Simulation Solutions, https://expertinsights.com/insights/the-top-11-phishing-awareness-training-and-simulation-solutions/

According to the HIPAA Security Rule, covered entities are responsible for ensuring that their business associates comply with the security standards and safeguards required by the rule. This includes conducting due diligence to assess the business associate’s security capabilities and practices, and monitoring their performance and compliance. Failure to do so may result in a violation of the rule and a penalty by the HHS. In this scenario, HealthCo did not perform due diligence on CloudHealth before entering the contract, and did not conduct audits of CloudHealth’s security measures. This is the most significant reason why HHS might impose a penalty on HealthCo, as it indicates a lack of oversight and accountability for the protection of ePHI. References:

HIPAA Security Rule

HIPAA Business Associate Contracts

HIPAA Enforcement and Penalties

The FTC alleged that Google violated its own privacy policies, engaged in deceptive trade practices, and failed to comply with Safe Harbor principles when it launched Google Buzz, a social networking service that automatically enrolled Gmail users and exposed their email contacts and other personal information without their consent or control. The FTC did not allege that Google failed to employ sufficient security safeguards, although it did require Google to implement a comprehensive privacy program and submit to regular privacy audits as part of the settlement. The other statements are incorrect because:

A. Violated its own privacy policies: The FTC alleged that Google violated its own privacy policies by using information collected from Gmail users for a purpose that wasincompatible with the purpose for which the information was collected, without obtaining their affirmative consent. Google’s privacy policy stated that "When you sign up for a particular service that requires registration, we ask you to provide personal information. If we use this information in a manner different than the purpose for which it was collected, then we will ask for your consent prior to such use."1

B. Engaged in deceptive trade practices: The FTC alleged that Google engaged in deceptive trade practices by misrepresenting the extent to which consumers could exercise control over the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information through Google Buzz. For example, Google offered consumers the option to decline or turn off Google Buzz, but the option was ineffective and did not fully remove the consumer from the social network. Google also misled consumers about how their email contacts would be treated on Google Buzz, and failed to disclose that certain information, such as the user’s frequent email contacts, would be made public by default.1

C. Failed to comply with Safe Harbor principles: The FTC alleged that Google failed to comply with the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, which provides a method for U.S. companies to transfer personal data from the European Union to the United States in a way that meets EU data protection requirements. Google had self-certified to the Department of Commerce that it adhered to the Safe Harbor Privacy Principles, which include notice, choice, access, and enforcement. The FTC alleged that Google’s conduct violated the notice and choice principles, as well as the requirement to adhere to the Safe Harbor FAQs.1 References: FTC Charges Deceptive Privacy Practices in Google’s Rollout of Its Buzz Social Network, Google, Inc., In the Matter of, Google settles with FTC over Buzz; Privacy policies to be audited for two decades, Google Settles FTC Complaint over Google Buzz Privacy