CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of protection of information assets. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization is implementing a data retention policy for personally identifiable information (PII) to comply with GDPR. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate approach?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Define retention periods based on legal and business requirements and securely delete after
Option D is correct because GDPR mandates that PII must not be kept longer than necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Defining retention periods based on legal and business requirements ensures compliance with the storage limitation principle (Article 5(1)(e)), and secure deletion (e.g., using cryptographic erasure or overwriting with tools like shred on Linux) prevents unauthorized recovery. This approach balances regulatory compliance with operational needs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Delete PII as soon as it is collected
Why it's wrong here
Immediate deletion may conflict with legitimate processing purposes; retention periods must be defined.
✗
Anonymize PII after a fixed period and retain indefinitely
Why it's wrong here
Anonymized data is not PII and can be retained, but indefinite retention of PII before anonymization is not allowed.
✗
Retain PII indefinitely for historical analysis
Why it's wrong here
GDPR requires deletion or anonymization once the purpose is fulfilled; indefinite retention of PII is not compliant.
✓
Define retention periods based on legal and business requirements and securely delete after
Why this is correct
GDPR mandates that data be kept no longer than necessary; defined retention periods with secure deletion ensure compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'anonymization' (Option B) as a safe harbor for indefinite retention, but GDPR requires that anonymization be irreversible and that the retained data serve a legitimate purpose, not just be kept indefinitely without justification.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, GDPR's storage limitation requires organizations to implement automated deletion mechanisms, such as cron jobs that execute SQL DELETE commands with secure overwrite (e.g., using DBMS_CRYPTO for Oracle or pg_clean for PostgreSQL) to ensure data is irrecoverable. A real-world scenario is a healthcare provider retaining patient records for 10 years per HIPAA, then securely deleting them using NIST SP 800-88 guidelines (e.g., ATA Secure Erase for SSDs) to avoid GDPR fines. The subtle behavior is that 'deletion' must be cryptographic or physical, not just logical removal from a database index.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Protection of Information Assets — This question tests Protection of Information Assets — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Define retention periods based on legal and business requirements and securely delete after — Option D is correct because GDPR mandates that PII must not be kept longer than necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Defining retention periods based on legal and business requirements ensures compliance with the storage limitation principle (Article 5(1)(e)), and secure deletion (e.g., using cryptographic erasure or overwriting with tools like shred on Linux) prevents unauthorized recovery. This approach balances regulatory compliance with operational needs.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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