Free CIPM: Certified Information Privacy Manager Exam Questions and Answers

Please use the following to answer the next question: Natalia, CFO of the Nationwide Grill restaurant chain, had never seen her fellow executives so anxious. Last week, a data processing firm used by the company reported that its system may have been hacked, and customer data such as names, addresses, and birthdays may have been compromised. Although the attempt was proven unsuccessful, the scare has prompted several Nationwide Grill executives to question the company's privacy program at today's meeting. Alice, a vice president, said that the incident could have opened the door to lawsuits, potentially damaging Nationwide Grill's market position. The Chief Information Officer (CIO), Brendan, tried to assure her that even if there had been an actual breach, the chances of a successful suit against the company were slim. But Alice remained unconvinced. Spencer – a former CEO and currently a senior advisor – said that he had always warned against the use of contractors for data processing. At the very least, he argued, they should be held contractually liable for telling customers about any security incidents. In his view, Nationwide Grill should not be forced to soil the company name for a problem it did not cause. One of the business development (BD) executives, Haley, then spoke, imploring everyone to see reason. "Breaches can happen, despite organizations' best efforts," she remarked. "Reasonable preparedness is key." She reminded everyone of the incident seven years ago when the large grocery chain Tinkerton's had its financial information compromised after a large order of Nationwide Grill frozen dinners. As a long-time BD executive with a solid understanding of Tinkerton's's corporate culture, built up through many years of cultivating relationships, Haley was able to successfully manage the company's incident response. Spencer replied that acting with reason means allowing security to be handled by the security functions within the company – not BD staff. In a similar way, he said, Human Resources (HR) needs to do a better job training employees to prevent incidents. He pointed out that Nationwide Grill employees are overwhelmed with posters, emails, and memos from both HR and the ethics department related to the company's privacy program. Both the volume and the duplication of information means that it is often ignored altogether. Spencer said, "The company needs to dedicate itself to its privacy program and set regular in-person trainings for all staff once a month." Alice responded that the suggestion, while well-meaning, is not practical. With many locations, local HR departments need to have flexibility with their training schedules. Silently, Natalia agreed. How could the objection to Spencer's training suggestion be addressed?

• AA. By requiring training only on an as-needed basis.
• BB. By offering alternative delivery methods for trainings.
• CC. By introducing a system of periodic refresher trainings.
• DD. By customizing training based on length of employee tenure.

Please use the following to answer the next question: John is the new privacy officer at the prestigious international law firm – A&M LLP. A&M LLP is very proud of its reputation in the practice areas of Trusts & Estates and Merger & Acquisition in both U.S. and Europe. During lunch with a colleague from the Information Technology department, John heard that the Head of IT, Derrick, is about to outsource the firm's email continuity service to their existing email security vendor – MessageSafe. Being successful as an email hygiene vendor, MessageSafe is expanding its business by leasing cloud infrastructure from Cloud Inc. to host email continuity service for A&M LLP. John is very concerned about this initiative. He recalled that MessageSafe was in the news six months ago due to a security breach. Immediately, John did a quick research of MessageSafe's previous breach and learned that the breach was caused by an unintentional mistake by an IT administrator. He scheduled a meeting with Derrick to address his concerns. At the meeting, Derrick emphasized that email is the primary method for the firm's lawyers to communicate with clients, thus it is critical to have the email continuity service to avoid any possible email downtime. Derrick has been using the anti-spam service provided by MessageSafe for five years and is very happy with the quality of service provided by MessageSafe. In addition to the significant discount offered by MessageSafe, Derrick emphasized that he can also speed up the onboarding process since the firm already has a service contract in place with MessageSafe. The existing on-premises email continuity solution is about to reach its end of life very soon and he doesn't have the time or resource to look for another solution. Furthermore, the off- premises email continuity service will only be turned on when the email service at A&M LLP's primary and secondary data centers are both down, and the email messages stored at MessageSafe site for continuity service will be automatically deleted after 30 days. Which of the following is a TRUE statement about the relationship among the organizations?

• AA. Cloud Inc. must notify A&M LLP of a data breach immediately.
• BB. MessageSafe is liable if Cloud Inc. fails to protect data from A&M LLP.
• CC. Cloud Inc. should enter into a data processor agreement with A&M LLP.
• DD. A&M LLP's service contract must be amended to list Cloud Inc. as a sub-processor.

If an organization maintains a separate ethics office, to whom would its officer typically report to in order to retain the greatest degree of independence?

• AA. The Board of Directors.
• BB. The Chief Financial Officer.
• CC. The Human Resources Director.
• DD. The organization's General Counsel.

Please use the following to answer the next question: Henry Home Furnishings has built high-end furniture for nearly forty years. However, the new owner, Anton, has found some degree of disorganization after touring the company headquarters. His uncle Henry had always focused on production – not data processing – and Anton is concerned. In several storage rooms, he has found paper files, disks, and old computers that appear to contain the personal data of current and former employees and customers. Anton knows that a single break-in could irrevocably damage the company's relationship with its loyal customers. He intends to set a goal of guaranteed zero loss of personal information. To this end, Anton originally planned to place restrictions on who was admitted to the physical premises of the company. However, Kenneth – his uncle's vice president and longtime confidante – wants to hold off on Anton's idea in favor of converting any paper records held at the company to electronic storage. Kenneth believes this process would only take one or two years. Anton likes this idea; he envisions a password-protected system that only he and Kenneth can access. Anton also plans to divest the company of most of its subsidiaries. Not only will this make his job easier, but it will simplify the management of the stored data. The heads of subsidiaries like the art gallery and kitchenware store down the street will be responsible for their own information management. Then, any unneeded subsidiary data still in Anton's possession can be destroyed within the next few years. After learning of a recent security incident, Anton realizes that another crucial step will be notifying customers. Kenneth insists that two lost hard drives in question are not cause for concern; all of the data was encrypted and not sensitive in nature. Anton does not want to take any chances, however. He intends on sending notice letters to all employees and customers to be safe. Anton must also check for compliance with all legislative, regulatory, and market requirements related to privacy protection. Kenneth oversaw the development of the company's online presence about ten years ago, but Anton is not confident about his understanding of recent online marketing laws. Anton is assigning another trusted employee with a law background the task of the compliance assessment. After a thorough analysis, Anton knows the company should be safe for another five years, at which time he can order another check. Documentation of this analysis will show auditors due diligence. Anton has started down a long road toward improved management of the company, but he knows the effort is worth it. Anton wants his uncle's legacy to continue for many years to come. Which important principle of Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) will most likely be compromised if Anton executes his plan to limit data access to himself and Kenneth?

• AA. Practicing data minimalism.
• BB. Ensuring data retrievability.
• CC. Implementing clear policies.
• DD. Ensuring adequacy of infrastructure.

Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION: Henry Home Furnishings has built high-end furniture for nearly forty years. However, the new owner, Anton, has found some degree of disorganization after touring the company headquarters. His uncle Henry had always focused on production – not data processing – and Anton is concerned. In several storage rooms, he has found paper files, disks, and old computers that appear to contain the personal data of current and former employees and customers. Anton knows that a single break-in could irrevocably damage the company's relationship with its loyal customers. He intends to set a goal of guaranteed zero loss of personal information. To this end, Anton originally planned to place restrictions on who was admitted to the physical premises of the company. However, Kenneth – his uncle's vice president and longtime confidante – wants to hold off on Anton's idea in favor of converting any paper records held at the company to electronic storage. Kenneth believes this process would only take one or two years. Anton likes this idea; he envisions a password-protected system that only he and Kenneth can access. Anton also plans to divest the company of most of its subsidiaries. Not only will this make his job easier, but it will simplify the management of the stored data. The heads of subsidiaries like the art gallery and kitchenware store down the street will be responsible for their own information management. Then, any unneeded subsidiary data still in Anton's possession can be destroyed within the next few years. After learning of a recent security incident, Anton realizes that another crucial step will be notifying customers. Kenneth insists that two lost hard drives in question are not cause for concern; all of the data was encrypted and not sensitive in nature. Anton does not want to take any chances, however. He intends on sending notice letters to all employees and customers to be safe. Anton must also check for compliance with all legislative, regulatory, and market requirements related to privacy protection. Kenneth oversaw the development of the company's online presence about ten years ago, but Anton is not confident about his understanding of recent online marketing laws. Anton is assigning another trusted employee with a law background the task of the compliance assessment. After a thorough analysis, Anton knows the company should be safe for another five years, at which time he can order another check. Documentation of this analysis will show auditors due diligence. Anton has started down a long road toward improved management of the company, but he knows the effort is worth it. Anton wants his uncle's legacy to continue for many years to come. What would the company's legal team most likely recommend to Anton regarding his planned communication with customers?

• AA. To send consistent communication.
• BB. To shift to electronic communication.
• CC. To delay communications until local authorities are informed.
• DD. To consider under what circumstances communication is necessary.

Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION: Your organization, the Chicago (U.S.)-based Society for Urban Greenspace, has used the same vendor to operate all aspects of an online store for several years. As a small nonprofit, the Society cannot afford the higher-priced options, but you have been relatively satisfied with this budget vendor, Shopping Cart Saver (SCS). Yes, there have been some issues. Twice, people who purchased items from the store have had their credit card information used fraudulently subsequent to transactions on your site, but in neither case did the investigation reveal with certainty that the Society’s store had been hacked. The thefts could have been employee-related. Just as disconcerting was an incident where the organization discovered that SCS had sold information it had collected from customers to third parties. However, as Jason Roland, your SCS account representative, points out, it took only a phone call from you to clarify expectations and the “misunderstanding” has not occurred again. As an information-technology program manager with the Society, the role of the privacy professional is only one of many you play. In all matters, however, you must consider the financial bottom line. While these problems with privacy protection have been significant, the additional revenues of sales of items such as shirts and coffee cups from the store have been significant. The Society’s operating budget is slim, and all sources of revenue are essential. Now a new challenge has arisen. Jason called to say that starting in two weeks, the customer data from the store would now be stored on a data cloud. “The good news,” he says, “is that we have found a low-cost provider in Finland, where the data would also be held. So, while there may be a small charge to pass through to you, it won’t be exorbitant, especially considering the advantages of a cloud.” Lately, you have been hearing about cloud computing and you know it’s fast becoming the new paradigm for various applications. However, you have heard mixed reviews about the potential impacts on privacy protection. You begin to research and discover that a number of the leading cloud service providers have signed a letter of intent to work together on shared conventions and technologies for privacy protection. You make a note to find out if Jason’s Finnish provider is signing on. What is the best way for your vendor to be clear about the Society’s breach notification expectations?

• AA. Include notification provisions in the vendor contract
• BB. Arrange regular telephone check-ins reviewing expectations
• CC. Send a memorandum of understanding on breach notification
• DD. Email the regulations that require breach notifications

An organization's privacy officer was just notified by the benefits manager that she accidentally sent out the retirement enrollment report of all employees to a wrong vendor. Which of the following actions should the privacy officer take first?

• AA. Perform a risk of harm analysis.
• BB. Report the incident to law enforcement.
• CC. Contact the recipient to delete the email.
• DD. Send firm-wide email notification to employees.

Under which circumstances would people who work in human resources be considered a secondary audience for privacy metrics?

• AA. They do not receive training on privacy issues
• BB. They do not interface with the financial office
• CC. They do not have privacy policy as their main task
• DD. They do not have frequent interactions with the public

In a sample metric template, what does “target” mean?

• AA. The suggested volume of data to collect
• BB. The percentage of completion
• CC. The threshold for a satisfactory rating
• DD. The frequency at which the data is sampled

Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION: Edufox has hosted an annual convention of users of its famous e-learning software platform, and over time, it has become a grand event. It fills one of the large downtown conference hotels and overflows into the others, with several thousand attendees enjoying three days of presentations, panel discussions and networking. The convention is the centerpiece of the company's product rollout schedule and a great training opportunity for current users. The sales force also encourages prospective clients to attend to get a better sense of the ways in which the system can be customized to meet diverse needs and understand that when they buy into this system, they are joining a community that feels like family. This year's conference is only three weeks away, and you have just heard news of a new initiative supporting it: a smartphone app for attendees. The app will support late registration, highlight the featured presentations and provide a mobile version of the conference program. It also links to a restaurant reservation system with the best cuisine in the areas featured. "It's going to be great," the developer, Deidre Hoffman, tells you, "if, that is, we actually get it working!" She laughs nervously but explains that because of the tight time frame she'd been given to build the app, she outsourced the job to a local firm. "It's just three young people," she says, "but they do great work." She describes some of the other apps they have built. When asked how they were selected for this job, Deidre shrugs. "They do good work, so I chose them." Deidre is a terrific employee with a strong track record. That's why she's been charged to deliver this rushed project. You're sure she has the best interests of the company at heart, and you don't doubt that she's under pressure to meet a deadline that cannot be pushed back. However, you have concerns about the app's handling of personal data and its security safeguards. Over lunch in the break room, you start to talk to her about it, but she quickly tries to reassure you, "I'm sure with your help we can fix any security issues if we have to, but I doubt there'll be any. These people build apps for a living, and they know what they're doing. You worry too much, but that's why you're so good at your job!" What safeguard can most efficiently ensure that privacy protection is a dimension of relationships with vendors?

• AA. Include appropriate language about privacy protection in vendor contracts.
• BB. Perform a privacy audit on any vendor under consideration.
• CC. Require that a person trained in privacy protection be part of all vendor selection teams.
• DD. Do business only with vendors who are members of privacy trade associations.