What is the BEST method to protect customers’ personal data that is forwarded to a central system for analysis?

What is the BEST method to protect customers’ personal data that is forwarded to a central system for analysis?
A . Pseudonymization
B . Deletion
C . Encryption
D . Anonymization

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Pseudonymization is a technique that replaces direct identifiers in a data set with pseudonyms or artificial identifiers that do not reveal the identity of the data subjects. Pseudonymization is the best method to protect customers’ personal data that is forwarded to a central system for analysis, as it reduces the linkability of the data set with the original identity of the customers and thus enhances the privacy and security of the data. Pseudonymization also preserves some characteristics or patterns of the original data that can be used for analysis or research purposes, without compromising the accuracy or quality of the results. The other options are not as effective as pseudonymization in protecting customers’ personal data that is forwarded to a central system for analysis. Deletion is a technique that removes or destroys data from a storage device or media to prevent unauthorized access or recovery of the data, but it does not allow for any analysis or research purposes. Encryption is a technique that transforms plain text data into cipher text using an algorithm and a key, making it unreadable by unauthorized parties, but it does not reduce the linkability of the data set with the original identity of the customers and may require additional security measures to protect the encryption keys or certificates. Anonymization is a technique that removes or modifies all identifiers in a data set to prevent or limit the identification of the data subjects, but it may affect the accuracy or quality of the analysis or research results, as some characteristics or patterns of the original data may be lost or distorted1, p. 74-75

Reference: 1: CDPSE Review Manual (Digital Version)