200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
Which compliance framework specifically addresses the protection of cardholder data?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing privacy regulations (GDPR) or industry standards (ISO 27001) with the payment-card-specific framework — candidates may pick GDPR because it also deals with data protection, but only PCI DSS is explicitly about cardholder data.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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PCI DSS
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is the compliance framework specifically designed to protect cardholder data — including credit card numbers, expiration dates, and cardholder names — for any organization that stores, processes, or transmits payment card information. It is mandated by the major card brands and enforced through acquirers and payment processors.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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PCI DSS
Why this is correct
PCI DSS is the payment-card industry standard governing storage, transmission and access to cardholder data, so it uniquely satisfies the stem's cardholder-data protection constraint. Other frameworks address health information, financial reporting or general security controls rather than card data specifically.
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GDPR
Why it's wrong here
GDPR governs personal data privacy for EU residents, not cardholder data specifically. It is tempting as a data-protection regulation, but it would be correct when handling personal information of EU subjects. Payment card data protection is addressed by PCI DSS, which sets controls for storing, processing and transmitting cardholder data.
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ISO 27001
Why it's wrong here
ISO 27001 is a generic information security management standard; it certifies an ISMS rather than prescribing cardholder data controls. It is tempting as a broad security baseline, but it would be correct for demonstrating overall security governance, not for the specific requirement of protecting payment card data, which PCI DSS addresses.
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HIPAA
Why it's wrong here
HIPAA governs protected health information held by healthcare entities, not payment card data. It is tempting because it is a well-known data-protection regulation, but it would be the correct framework when safeguarding medical records. Cardholder data protection is addressed by PCI DSS, which defines the twelve requirements for card data.
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About these practice questions
This 200-201 question is part of Courseiva's 968-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.