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Privacy Glossary

Data Breach

A security incident in which personal data is accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed without authorisation.

GDPRDPDP ActPDPAHIPAAPIPEDA

Full Definition

A data breach is any incident that results in the unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction of personal data. Breaches can be caused by external attacks, insider threats, or accidental disclosures. Most data protection regulations require organisations to assess breaches and notify regulators and/or affected individuals within defined timeframes — 72 hours under GDPR and PIPA, 3 calendar days under Singapore's PDPA, and 'as soon as reasonably practicable' under India's DPDP Act. A structured breach response plan is essential for meeting notification deadlines.

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Related terms

Data Controller

An entity that determines the purposes and means of processing personal data.

DPIA

Data Protection Impact Assessment — a systematic process to identify and minimise privacy risks in new processing activities.

Relevant regulations

GDPR
DPDP Act
PDPA
HIPAA
PIPEDA

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