Pearson CIPP-US New Attempt

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Question 12

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?

Options:

The policy would not be considered valid if not communicated in full.

The policy might not be implemented consistency across departments.

Employees would not be comfortable with a policy that is put into action over time.

Employees might not understand how the documents relate to the policy as a whole.

Question 13

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?

Options:

Training on techniques for identifying phishing attempts

Training on the terms of the contractual agreement with HealthCo

Training on the difference between confidential and non-public information

Training on CloudHealth’s HR policy regarding the role of employees involved data breaches

Answer:

Explanation:

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/

Question 14

SCENARIO

Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION

Noah is trying to get a new job involving the management of money. He has a poor personal credit rating, but he has made better financial decisions in the past two years.

One potential employer, Arnie’s Emporium, recently called to tell Noah he did not get a position. As part of the application process, Noah signed a consent form allowing the employer to request his credit report from a consumer reporting agency (CRA). Noah thinks that the report hurt his chances, but believes that he may not ever know whether it was his credit that cost him the job. However, Noah is somewhat relieved that he was not offered this particular position. He noticed that the store where he interviewed was extremely disorganized. He imagines that his credit report could still

be sitting in the office, unsecured.

Two days ago, Noah got another interview for a position at Sam’s Market. The interviewer told Noah that his credit report would be a factor in the hiring decision. Noah was surprised because he had not seen anything on paper about this when he applied.

Regardless, the effect of Noah’s credit on his employability troubles him, especially since he has tried so hard to improve it. Noah made his worst financial decisions fifteen years ago, and they led to bankruptcy. These were decisions he made as a young man, and most of his debt at the time consisted of student loans, credit card debt, and a few unpaid bills – all of which Noah is still working to pay off. He often laments that decisions he made fifteen years ago are still affecting him today.

In addition, Noah feels that an experience investing with a large bank may have contributed to his financial troubles. In 2007, in an effort to earn money to help pay off his debt, Noah talked to a customer service representative at a large investment company who urged him to purchase stocks. Without understanding the risks, Noah agreed. Unfortunately, Noah lost a great deal of money.

After losing the money, Noah was a customer of another financial institution that suffered a large security breach. Noah was one of millions of customers whose personal information was compromised. He wonders if he may have been a victim of identity theft and whether this may have negatively affected his credit.

Noah hopes that he will soon be able to put these challenges behind him, build excellent credit, and find the perfect job.

Consumers today are most likely protected from situations like the one Noah had buying stock because of which federal action or legislation?

Options:

The rules under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

The creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Federal Trade Commission investigations into “unfair and deceptive” acts or practices.

Investigations of “abusive” acts and practices under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Question 15

Which of the following state laws has an entity exemption for organizations subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)?

Options:

Nevada Privacy Law.

California Privacy Rights Act.

California Consumer Privacy Act.

Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act

Answer:

Explanation:

The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) is a state law that provides comprehensive privacy rights and obligations for consumers and businesses in Virginia. The VCDPA applies to any entity that conducts business in Virginia or produces products or services that are targeted to residents of Virginia and that either: (a) controls or processes personal data of at least 100,000 consumers; or (b) controls or processes personal data of at least 25,000 consumers and derives over 50% of gross revenue from the sale of personal data. However, the VCDPA also provides several exemptions for certain types of entities and data, including an entity exemption for financial institutions or data subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). This means that organizations that are regulated by the GLBA are not subject to the VCDPA, regardless of the type or source of data they collect or process. The GLBA is a federal law that regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal financial information by financial institutions and their affiliates. The GLBA applies to any business that is significantly engaged in financial activities, such as banks, credit unions, securities firms, insurance companies, and certain fintech companies. The GLBA requires financial institutions to provide notice and choice to consumers about their privacy practices, to safeguard the security and confidentiality of consumer information, and to limit the sharing of consumer information with third parties. The GLBA also preempts state laws only to the extent that they are inconsistent with the GLBA, unless the state law provides greater protection to consumers.

The other state laws listed in the question do not have an entity exemption for organizations subject to the GLBA, but they may have partial or data exemptions for certain types of information that are regulated by the GLBA. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) are state laws that provide comprehensive privacy rights and obligations for consumers and businesses in California. The CCPA and the CPRA apply to any business that collects or sells the personal information of California residents and that meets one or more of the following thresholds: (a) has annual gross revenues in excess of $25 million; (b) alone or in combination, annually buys, receives for the business’s commercial purposes, sells, or shares for commercial purposes, the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers, households, or devices; or © derives 50% or more of its annual revenues from selling consumers’ personal information. However, the CCPA and the CPRA also provide several exemptions for certain types of entities and data, including a data exemption for personal information collected, processed, sold, or disclosed pursuant to the GLBA, if it is in conflict with the GLBA. This means that information that is subject to the GLBA is exempt from the privacy requirements of the CCPA and the CPRA, but not from the data breach liability provisions. The CCPA and the CPRA do not exempt financial institutions or other entities that are regulated by the GLBA from their scope, unless they only collect or process information that is subject to the GLBA.

The Nevada Privacy Law is a state law that provides privacy rights and obligations for consumers and operators of websites or online services in Nevada. The Nevada Privacy Law applies to any person who owns or operates an Internet website or online service for commercial purposes that collects and maintains covered information from consumers who reside in Nevada and use or visit the Internet website or online service. Covered information includes any one or more of the following items of personally identifiable information about a consumer collected by an operator through an Internet website or online service and maintained by the operator in an accessible form: (a) a first and last name; (b) a home or other physical address which includes the name of a street and the name of a city or town; © an electronic mail address; (d) a telephone number; (e) a social security number; (f) an identifier that allows a specific person to be contacted either physically or online; or (g) any other information concerning a person collected from the person through the Internet website or online service of the operator and maintained by the operator in combination with an identifier in a form that makes the information personally identifiable. However, the Nevada Privacy Law also provides several exemptions for certain types of entities and data, including a data exemption for any data that is subject to the GLBA. This means that information that is regulated by the GLBA is exempt from the Nevada Privacy Law, regardless of the type or source of data. The Nevada Privacy Law does not exempt financial institutions or other entities that are subject to the GLBA from its scope, unless they only collect or process information that is subject to the GLBA. References: