The answer is to implement a tiered retention policy based on data classification. This approach allows the organization to segment electronic protected health information (ePHI) by regulatory scope, applying HIPAA’s six-year retention mandate to records governed solely by U.S. law while adhering to GDPR’s storage limitation principle for European patients’ data, thereby minimizing storage costs without sacrificing compliance. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your grasp of the data lifecycle and conflict resolution between overlapping legal frameworks, often appearing as a trap where candidates choose “retain for the longer period” or “retain indefinitely,” both of which violate GDPR’s purpose limitation. The key is recognizing that a one-size-fits-all retention period fails when laws conflict, and that data classification enables precise, defensible scheduling. Memory tip: think “Tier to Tier” — tiered policy keeps each regulation’s time limit in its own lane.
CISSP Security and Risk Management Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security and risk management. 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.
A large healthcare organization is subject to both HIPAA and GDPR. They are creating a data retention policy for electronic protected health information (ePHI) concerning European patients. HIPAA requires retention for 6 years from creation or last effective date, while GDPR requires that personal data not be kept longer than necessary for the purpose, with a general guideline of retaining for the duration of the relationship plus a reasonable period. The organization wants to minimize storage costs while ensuring compliance. Which approach should they take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement a tiered retention policy based on data classification
A tiered retention policy based on data classification allows the organization to apply different retention periods to different types of data, balancing regulatory requirements and cost. Retaining for the longer of the two requirements may over-retain data that is not subject to both laws. Retaining for the shorter may violate HIPAA. Retaining all data indefinitely is costly and may violate GDPR's storage limitation principle.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Retain data for the longer of the two regulatory requirements (HIPAA 6 years)
Why it's wrong here
May over-retain data not covered by HIPAA, increasing costs and potentially violating GDPR for some data.
✓
Implement a tiered retention policy based on data classification
Why this is correct
Allows different retention periods for different data types, ensuring compliance with both regulations while minimizing costs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Retain all data indefinitely
Why it's wrong here
Violates GDPR's storage limitation principle and increases costs unnecessarily.
✗
Retain data for the shorter requirement (GDPR-defined necessity period)
Why it's wrong here
May violate HIPAA if ePHI is deleted before 6 years.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISSP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security and Risk Management — This question tests Security and Risk Management — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement a tiered retention policy based on data classification — A tiered retention policy based on data classification allows the organization to apply different retention periods to different types of data, balancing regulatory requirements and cost. Retaining for the longer of the two requirements may over-retain data that is not subject to both laws. Retaining for the shorter may violate HIPAA. Retaining all data indefinitely is costly and may violate GDPR's storage limitation principle.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISSP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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