CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

What process failed regarding the reporting of a data breach when a CEO lost a device containing sensitive data?

1. Incident response

2. Data governance

3. Disaster recovery

4. Employee training

The correct answer is: Incident response

The identification of "incident response" as the correct process that failed is significant because incident response refers to the systematic approach organizations take to prepare for, detect, contain, and recover from data breaches or cyber incidents. When a CEO loses a device that contains sensitive data, it is critical for the organization to have a well-defined incident response plan in place to address the situation promptly and effectively. The failure in incident response indicates that there may have been a lack of procedures to identify the breach when it occurred, assess the impact of the lost device, notify impacted individuals or stakeholders, and take necessary actions to mitigate potential damage. Strong incident response can help organizations quickly contain the breach, reduce the risk of data loss, and implement communication strategies for transparency. While the other processes—data governance, disaster recovery, and employee training—are essential components of data protection and organization resilience, the immediate and specific response to a data breach hinges on how the incident is managed as it occurs. If a proper incident response plan is not in place or is inadequately executed, it leads to missed opportunities for timely remediation and damage control, which is crucial in the event of sensitive data being compromised.