ElasticSearch Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 2

Question 1

Which Elasticsearch feature allows you to automatically delete indices after a specified retention period, helping organizations meet data minimization requirements under GDPR?

Accepted Answer

Index Lifecycle Management (ILM)

Answer

ILM policies can define a delete phase with a minimum age, automatically removing indices and their data once the retention window expires.

Question 2

Under HIPAA, which Elasticsearch configuration ensures that Protected Health Information (PHI) stored in indices is encrypted at rest?

Accepted Answer

Enabling encryption at rest via the X-Pack security plugin or OS-level disk encryption

Answer

HIPAA requires encryption at rest; Elasticsearch supports this through X-Pack's encrypted storage or by relying on OS/disk-level encryption solutions.

Question 3

An Elasticsearch cluster stores EU citizen data. Under GDPR Article 17 ('Right to Erasure'), what is the most compliant approach to deleting a single user's data?

Accepted Answer

Use the Delete by Query API targeting the user's document ID or identifier

Answer

The Delete by Query API allows targeted deletion of specific documents matching a query, fulfilling erasure requests without affecting other users' data.

Question 4

Which PCI-DSS requirement most directly mandates network segmentation for an Elasticsearch cluster that stores cardholder data?

Accepted Answer

Requirement 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration

Answer

PCI-DSS Requirement 1 governs firewall and network controls, including segmenting systems that store cardholder data from untrusted networks.

Question 5

A compliance officer requires that all Elasticsearch search queries against sensitive data be logged with the requesting user's identity. Which feature enables this?

Accepted Answer

Audit Logging (X-Pack Security)

Answer

X-Pack Security's audit logging records authentication events, authorization decisions, and REST/transport-layer requests along with the authenticated user's identity.

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ElasticSearch Regulatory Frameworks & Compliance 2