CISSP Security and Risk Management Practice Question
Which of the following is a key requirement under the GDPR regarding personal data breaches?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISSP often tests the confusion between the 72-hour supervisory-authority deadline and the separate, risk-based individual-notification obligation, tempting candidates to pick a fabricated 24-hour figure.
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
✓
Notify the supervisory authority within 72 hours
Under GDPR Article 33, a controller must notify the relevant supervisory authority of a personal data breach within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, unless the breach is unlikely to result in a risk to data subjects' rights and freedoms. This 72-hour window is the core regulatory deadline tested here. Notification to individuals (Article 34) is only required when the breach poses a high risk, and it has no fixed 24-hour deadline.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Notify the supervisory authority within 72 hours
Why this is correct
GDPR Article 33 mandates that in the event of a personal data breach, the data controller must notify the relevant supervisory authority without undue delay and, where feasible, not later than 72 hours after becoming aware of it. This notification is required unless the personal data breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons. The notification must include details such as the nature of the breach, categories of data subjects and records concerned, and the likely consequences.
- ✗
Conduct a privacy impact assessment within 30 days
Why it's wrong here
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), often referred to as a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), is a proactive requirement under GDPR Article 35. It must be conducted prior to processing operations that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, such as large-scale processing of special categories of data or systematic monitoring. A DPIA is not a post-breach remediation step, nor is there a specific 30-day timeframe for its completion after a breach.
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Report the breach to law enforcement immediately
Why it's wrong here
GDPR primarily mandates notification to the relevant supervisory authority, not directly to law enforcement, following a data breach. While organizations have a general obligation to report criminal activity, GDPR Article 33 does not explicitly require immediate notification to law enforcement unless the breach itself involves suspected criminal activity that falls under their jurisdiction, such as cybercrime. The focus is on regulatory compliance and protecting data subjects' rights, not criminal investigation by default.
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Notify affected individuals within 24 hours
Why it's wrong here
Under GDPR Article 34, notification to affected individuals is only required if the personal data breach is likely to result in a high risk to their rights and freedoms. This notification must be communicated without undue delay, but there is no specific 24-hour deadline. Furthermore, this is distinct from the 72-hour deadline for notifying the supervisory authority, and the threshold for individual notification is higher than for the supervisory authority.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Asset Security: Privacy and Data Retention
Key term
Risk
Risk is the possibility that an event or action will negatively affect an organization's ability to achieve its goals, often measured in terms of likelihood and impact.
Key term
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union law that sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, process, and protect the personal data of individuals within the EU.
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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 ISC2 exam blueprint
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.