CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
An organization processes personal data of EU residents and has implemented pseudonymisation as a privacy control. The IS auditor is reviewing the effectiveness of this control in meeting GDPR requirements. Which of the following is the MOST important limitation of pseudonymisation?
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
✓
Pseudonymised data is still considered personal data under GDPR
Pseudonymisation reduces the link between data and an individual but does not fully anonymize the data; the pseudonymised data remains personal data if the pseudonym can be reversed using additional information held separately.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Pseudonymisation eliminates the need for data subject rights
Why it's wrong here
Data subject rights still apply to pseudonymised data.
- ✗
Pseudonymisation is not recognized by GDPR
Why it's wrong here
GDPR explicitly mentions pseudonymisation as a technique.
- ✗
Pseudonymisation cannot be applied to structured data
Why it's wrong here
It can be applied to various data formats.
- ✓
Pseudonymised data is still considered personal data under GDPR
Why this is correct
Pseudonymisation reduces risks but does not remove the data from GDPR scope; it is still personal data.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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