Quick Answer
The answer is data minimization, as it directly reduces the volume of personal data collected and stored, thereby limiting both legal exposure and the scope of compliance obligations under GDPR and CCPA. By collecting only what is strictly necessary for a specified purpose, organizations inherently shrink their attack surface and simplify data subject rights requests, making minimization a foundational privacy-by-design principle. On the CISSP exam, this concept tests your understanding of the Privacy domain (Domain 8), where data minimization is often contrasted with encryption or retention policies as a primary strategy—a common trap is choosing encryption, which protects data in transit or at rest but does nothing to reduce the amount collected. Remember the mnemonic “Less is Less Risk”: the less data you hold, the less you have to secure, report, or delete, making minimization the most proactive compliance strategy.
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security and risk management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A multinational corporation must comply with GDPR and CCPA. Which data protection strategy should they prioritize?
Data masking
Why wrong: Hides data for specific purposes but does not reduce overall data collection.
Data retention
Why wrong: Addresses storage duration, not the fundamental reduction of data.
Data encryption
Why wrong: Protects data but does not address the principle of collection limitation.
Data minimization
Core principle under GDPR and CCPA, reducing data collection and storage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Data minimization
Data minimization reduces the amount of personal data collected and stored, thereby limiting exposure and compliance burden. Encryption protects data but does not reduce collection. Data retention policies are secondary. Data masking is useful for specific use cases but not a primary strategy.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Data masking
Why it's wrong here
Hides data for specific purposes but does not reduce overall data collection.
Data retention
Why it's wrong here
Addresses storage duration, not the fundamental reduction of data.
Data encryption
Why it's wrong here
Protects data but does not address the principle of collection limitation.
Data minimization
Why this is correct
Core principle under GDPR and CCPA, reducing data collection and storage.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related CISSP subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Security and Risk Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security and Risk Management — This question tests Security and Risk Management — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
The correct answer is: Data minimization — Data minimization reduces the amount of personal data collected and stored, thereby limiting exposure and compliance burden. Encryption protects data but does not reduce collection. Data retention policies are secondary. Data masking is useful for specific use cases but not a primary strategy.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related CISSP subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.
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