Privacy by Design and Engineering Flashcards

A privacy engineer is asked to implement a technique that replaces real user identifiers with pseudonyms in a dataset. What technique is being used?

Answer: Pseudonymization

Pseudonymization replaces direct identifiers with artificial identifiers (pseudonyms) so that data can no longer be attributed to a specific individual without additional information.

Which engineering technique adds statistical noise to datasets to protect individual privacy while preserving overall data utility?

Answer: Differential privacy

Differential privacy injects calibrated noise into query results so that individual records cannot be inferred from aggregate outputs.

A company wants to allow third-party analysis of its customer database without revealing individual records. Which technique best enables this?

Answer: Homomorphic encryption

Homomorphic encryption allows computations to be performed on encrypted data without decrypting it, preserving privacy during analysis.

In the context of Privacy by Design, what is a 'privacy impact assessment' (PIA) primarily used for during system development?

Answer: Identifying and mitigating privacy risks before system deployment

A PIA evaluates how a proposed system or process will affect individual privacy and enables teams to address risks before launch.

What is the primary purpose of data minimization as a privacy engineering control?

Answer: Collect only the data necessary for the specified purpose

Data minimization limits the collection of personal data to what is strictly necessary for a defined purpose, reducing privacy risk.

Which concept describes designing systems so that a user's identity is not required to access a service when only a credential or attribute is needed?

Answer: Identity minimization

Identity minimization (or attribute-based access) ensures systems request only the minimal identity information required rather than full identification.