Skip to Content

IAPP CIPT: What is Geofencing and How Can It Help Mitigate Risks for Remote Employees Working with Personal Data?

Learn how geofencing technology can help organizations mitigate risks associated with remote employees processing personal data in different jurisdictions. Discover the benefits of implementing geofencing as part of your data protection strategy.

Table of Contents

Question

An organization has changed its policies to allow its employees to work remotely. However, it is concerned about employees working and processing personal data in jurisdictions outside of its own. Which of the following would allow the organization to mitigate the risk?

A. Geofencing
B. l-diversity
C. Pseudonymization
D. Multi-Factor Authentication

Answer

A. Geofencing

Explanation

Geofencing is the correct answer for mitigating the risk of employees working and processing personal data in jurisdictions outside of the organization’s own. Geofencing is a location-based technology that uses GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or cellular data to create a virtual boundary around a specific geographical area. When a device enters or exits this virtual boundary, it triggers a pre-programmed action or notification.

In the context of remote work and data protection, geofencing can be used to:

  1. Restrict access to sensitive data: Organizations can set up geofences to ensure that employees can only access and process personal data when they are within a specified geographical area, such as the country where the organization is based.
  2. Monitor employee location: Geofencing allows organizations to track the location of their remote employees’ devices, ensuring they are working from approved jurisdictions and not processing personal data in unauthorized locations.
  3. Automate compliance: By setting up geofences and associated actions, organizations can automate compliance with data protection regulations that may vary across different jurisdictions.
  4. Alert security teams: If an employee’s device enters or exits a geofenced area unexpectedly, the organization’s security team can be notified, allowing them to investigate potential security breaches or unauthorized access to personal data.

The other options mentioned in the question, while valuable in their own right, do not directly address the specific issue of employees working and processing personal data in different jurisdictions:

  • l-diversity is a technique used to protect against attribute disclosure in data anonymization.
  • Pseudonymization is a data protection measure that replaces personally identifiable information with a pseudonym, making it difficult to identify individuals without additional information.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification before accessing sensitive data or systems.

In conclusion, geofencing is the most appropriate solution for organizations looking to mitigate the risks associated with remote employees processing personal data across different jurisdictions. By implementing geofencing, organizations can ensure compliance with data protection regulations and maintain control over the access and processing of sensitive information.

IAPP CIPT certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the IAPP CIPT exam and earn IAPP CIPT certification.