EMT Practice Test

1. Question Content...


Question List

Question1: A covered entity suffers a ransomware attack that affects the personal health information (PHI) of more than 500 individuals. According to Federal law under HIPAA, which of the following would the covered entity NOT have to report the breach to?

Question2: Which of these organizations would be required to provide its customers with an annual privacy notice?

Question3: Which law provides employee benefits, but often mandates the collection of medical information?

Question4: Which of the following is most likely to provide privacy protection to private-sector employees in the United States?

Question5: Which of the following best describes what a "private right of action" is?

Question6: Global Manufacturing Co's Human Resources department recently purchased a new software tool. This tool helps evaluate future candidates for executive roles by scanning emails to see what those candidates say and what is said about them. This provides the HR department with an automated "360 review" that lets them know how the candidate thinks and operates, what their peers and direct reports say about them, and how well they interact with each other.
What is the most important step for the Human Resources Department to take when implementing this new software?

Question7: A law enforcement subpoenas the ACME telecommunications company for access to text message records of a person suspected of planning a terrorist attack. The company had previously encrypted its text message records so that only the suspect could access this data.
What law did ACME violate by designing the service to prevent access to the information by a law enforcement agency?

Question8: Most states with data breach notification laws indicate that notice to affected individuals must be sent in the "most expeditious time possible without unreasonable delay." By contrast, which of the following states currently imposes a definite limit for notification to affected individuals?

Question9: Which of the following is NOT a principle found in the APEC Privacy Framework?

Question10: Which statement is FALSE regarding the provisions of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA)?

Question11: All of the following are tasks in the "Discover" phase of building an information management program EXCEPT?

Question12: The rules for "e-discovery" mainly prevent which of the following?

Question13: What is the most important action an organization can take to comply with the FTC position on retroactive changes to a privacy policy?

Question14: The FTC often negotiates consent decrees with companies found to be in violation of privacy principles. How does this benefit both parties involved?

Question15: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Matt went into his son's bedroom one evening and found him stretched out on his bed typing on his laptop. "Doing your network?" Matt asked hopefully.
"No," the boy said. "I'm filling out a survey."
Matt looked over his son's shoulder at his computer screen. "What kind of survey?" "It's asking Questions about my opinions."
"Let me see," Matt said, and began reading the list of Questions that his son had already answered. "It's asking your opinions about the government and citizenship. That's a little odd. You're only ten." Matt wondered how the web link to the survey had ended up in his son's email inbox. Thinking the message might have been sent to his son by mistake he opened it and read it. It had come from an entity called the Leadership Project, and the content and the graphics indicated that it was intended for children. As Matt read further he learned that kids who took the survey were automatically registered in a contest to win the first book in a series about famous leaders.
To Matt, this clearly seemed like a marketing ploy to solicit goods and services to children. He asked his son if he had been prompted to give information about himself in order to take the survey. His son told him he had been asked to give his name, address, telephone number, and date of birth, and to answer Questions about his favorite games and toys.
Matt was concerned. He doubted if it was legal for the marketer to collect information from his son in the way that it was. Then he noticed several other commercial emails from marketers advertising products for children in his son's inbox, and he decided it was time to report the incident to the proper authorities.
How does Matt come to the decision to report the marketer's activities?

Question16: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Matt went into his son's bedroom one evening and found him stretched out on his bed typing on his laptop. "Doing your network?" Matt asked hopefully.
"No," the boy said. "I'm filling out a survey."
Matt looked over his son's shoulder at his computer screen. "What kind of survey?" "It's asking Questions about my opinions."
"Let me see," Matt said, and began reading the list of Questions that his son had already answered. "It's asking your opinions about the government and citizenship. That's a little odd. You're only ten." Matt wondered how the web link to the survey had ended up in his son's email inbox. Thinking the message might have been sent to his son by mistake he opened it and read it. It had come from an entity called the Leadership Project, and the content and the graphics indicated that it was intended for children. As Matt read further he learned that kids who took the survey were automatically registered in a contest to win the first book in a series about famous leaders.
To Matt, this clearly seemed like a marketing ploy to solicit goods and services to children. He asked his son if he had been prompted to give information about himself in order to take the survey. His son told him he had been asked to give his name, address, telephone number, and date of birth, and to answer Questions about his favorite games and toys.
Matt was concerned. He doubted if it was legal for the marketer to collect information from his son in the way that it was. Then he noticed several other commercial emails from marketers advertising products for children in his son's inbox, and he decided it was time to report the incident to the proper authorities.
Based on the incident, the FTC's enforcement actions against the marketer would most likely include what violation?

Question17: Sarah lives in San Francisco, Californi
a. Based on a dramatic increase in unsolicited commercial emails, Sarah believes that a major social media platform with over 50 million users has collected a lot of personal information about her. The company that runs the platform is based in New York and France.
Why is Sarah entitled to ask the social media platform to delete the personal information they have collected about her?

Question18: Who has rulemaking authority for the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)?

Question19: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
You are the chief privacy officer at HealthCo, a major hospital in a large U.S. city in state A.
HealthCo is a HIPAA-covered entity that provides healthcare services to more than 100,000 patients. A third-party cloud computing service provider, CloudHealth, stores and manages the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of these individuals on behalf of HealthCo. CloudHealth stores the data in state B.
As part of HealthCo's business associate agreement (BAA) with CloudHealth, HealthCo requires CloudHealth to implement security measures, including industry standard encryption practices, to adequately protect the data. However, HealthCo did not perform due diligence on CloudHealth before entering the contract, and has not conducted audits of CloudHealth's security measures.
A CloudHealth employee has recently become the victim of a phishing attack. When the employee unintentionally clicked on a link from a suspicious email, the PHI of more than 10,000 HealthCo patients was compromised. It has since been published online. The HealthCo cybersecurity team quickly identifies the perpetrator as a known hacker who has launched similar attacks on other hospitals - ones that exposed the PHI of public figures including celebrities and politicians.
During the course of its investigation, HealthCo discovers that CloudHealth has not encrypted the PHI in accordance with the terms of its contract. In addition, CloudHealth has not provided privacy or security training to its employees. Law enforcement has requested that HealthCo provide its investigative report of the breach and a copy of the PHI of the individuals affected.
A patient affected by the breach then sues HealthCo, claiming that the company did not adequately protect the individual's ePHI, and that he has suffered substantial harm as a result of the exposed data. The patient's attorney has submitted a discovery request for the ePHI exposed in the breach.
Which of the following would be HealthCo's best response to the attorney's discovery request?

Question20: In March 2012, the FTC released a privacy report that outlined three core principles for companies handling consumer dat a. Which was NOT one of these principles?

Question21: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
When there was a data breach involving customer personal and financial information at a large retail store, the company's directors were shocked. However, Roberta, a privacy analyst at the company and a victim of identity theft herself, was not. Prior to the breach, she had been working on a privacy program report for the executives. How the company shared and handled data across its organization was a major concern. There were neither adequate rules about access to customer information nor procedures for purging and destroying outdated dat a. In her research, Roberta had discovered that even low- level employees had access to all of the company's customer data, including financial records, and that the company still had in its possession obsolete customer data going back to the 1980s.
Her report recommended three main reforms. First, permit access on an as-needs-to-know basis. This would mean restricting employees' access to customer information to data that was relevant to the work performed. Second, create a highly secure database for storing customers' financial information (e.g., credit card and bank account numbers) separate from less sensitive information. Third, identify outdated customer information and then develop a process for securely disposing of it.
When the breach occurred, the company's executives called Roberta to a meeting where she presented the recommendations in her report. She explained that the company having a national customer base meant it would have to ensure that it complied with all relevant state breach notification laws. Thanks to Roberta's guidance, the company was able to notify customers quickly and within the specific timeframes set by state breach notification laws.
Soon after, the executives approved the changes to the privacy program that Roberta recommended in her report. The privacy program is far more effective now because of these changes and, also, because privacy and security are now considered the responsibility of every employee.
Which principle of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, if adopted, would best reform the company's privacy program?

Question22: The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized an individual's right to privacy over personal issues, such as contraception, by acknowledging which of the following?

Question23: What is the main challenge financial institutions face when managing user preferences?

Question24: Within what time period must a commercial message sender remove a recipient's address once they have asked to stop receiving future e-mail?

Question25: What type of material is exempt from an individual's right to disclosure under the Privacy Act?

Question26: What is a legal document approved by a judge that formalizes an agreement between a governmental agency and an adverse party called?

Question27: Which entities must comply with the Telemarketing Sales Rule?

Question28: Which action is prohibited under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986?

Question29: Which was NOT one of the five priority areas listed by the Federal Trade Commission in its 2012 report, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers"?

Question30: Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), what is the most appropriate action for a car dealer holding a paper folder of customer credit reports?

Question31: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
When there was a data breach involving customer personal and financial information at a large retail store, the company's directors were shocked. However, Roberta, a privacy analyst at the company and a victim of identity theft herself, was not. Prior to the breach, she had been working on a privacy program report for the executives. How the company shared and handled data across its organization was a major concern. There were neither adequate rules about access to customer information nor procedures for purging and destroying outdated dat a. In her research, Roberta had discovered that even low- level employees had access to all of the company's customer data, including financial records, and that the company still had in its possession obsolete customer data going back to the 1980s.
Her report recommended three main reforms. First, permit access on an as-needs-to-know basis. This would mean restricting employees' access to customer information to data that was relevant to the work performed. Second, create a highly secure database for storing customers' financial information (e.g., credit card and bank account numbers) separate from less sensitive information. Third, identify outdated customer information and then develop a process for securely disposing of it.
When the breach occurred, the company's executives called Roberta to a meeting where she presented the recommendations in her report. She explained that the company having a national customer base meant it would have to ensure that it complied with all relevant state breach notification laws. Thanks to Roberta's guidance, the company was able to notify customers quickly and within the specific timeframes set by state breach notification laws.
Soon after, the executives approved the changes to the privacy program that Roberta recommended in her report. The privacy program is far more effective now because of these changes and, also, because privacy and security are now considered the responsibility of every employee.
What could the company have done differently prior to the breach to reduce their risk?

Question32: More than half of U.S. states require telemarketers to?

Question33: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Larry has become increasingly dissatisfied with his telemarketing position at SunriseLynx, and particularly with his supervisor, Evan. Just last week, he overheard Evan mocking the state's Do Not Call list, as well as the people on it. "If they were really serious about not being bothered," Evan said, "They'd be on the national DNC list. That's the only one we're required to follow. At SunriseLynx, we call until they ask us not to." Bizarrely, Evan requires telemarketers to keep records of recipients who ask them to call "another time." This, to Larry, is a clear indication that they don't want to be called at all. Evan doesn't see it that way.
Larry believes that Evan's arrogance also affects the way he treats employees. The U.S. Constitution protects American workers, and Larry believes that the rights of those at SunriseLynx are violated regularly. At first Evan seemed friendly, even connecting with employees on social medi a. However, following Evan's political posts, it became clear to Larry that employees with similar affiliations were the only ones offered promotions.
Further, Larry occasionally has packages containing personal-use items mailed to work. Several times, these have come to him already opened, even though this name was clearly marked. Larry thinks the opening of personal mail is common at SunriseLynx, and that Fourth Amendment rights are being trampled under Evan's leadership.
Larry has also been dismayed to overhear discussions about his coworker, Sadie. Telemarketing calls are regularly recorded for quality assurance, and although Sadie is always professional during business, her personal conversations sometimes contain sexual comments. This too is something Larry has heard Evan laughing about. When he mentioned this to a coworker, his concern was met with a shrug. It was the coworker's belief that employees agreed to be monitored when they signed on. Although personal devices are left alone, phone calls, emails and browsing histories are all subject to surveillance. In fact, Larry knows of one case in which an employee was fired after an undercover investigation by an outside firm turned up evidence of misconduct. Although the employee may have stolen from the company, Evan could have simply contacted the authorities when he first suspected something amiss.
Larry wants to take action, but is uncertain how to proceed.
Based on the way he uses social media, Evan is susceptible to a lawsuit based on?

Question34: All of the following organizations are specified as covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) EXCEPT?

Question35: A student has left high school and is attending a public postsecondary institution. Under what condition may a school legally disclose educational records to the parents of the student without consent?

Question36: Which of the following statements is most accurate in regard to data breach notifications under federal and state laws:

Question37: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Declan has just started a job as a nursing assistant in a radiology department at Woodland Hospital. He has also started a program to become a registered nurse.
Before taking this career path, Declan was vaguely familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He now knows that he must help ensure the security of his patients' Protected Health Information (PHI). Therefore, he is thinking carefully about privacy issues.
On the morning of his first day, Declan noticed that the newly hired receptionist handed each patient a HIPAA privacy notice. He wondered if it was necessary to give these privacy notices to returning patients, and if the radiology department could reduce paper waste through a system of one-time distribution.
He was also curious about the hospital's use of a billing company. He Questioned whether the hospital was doing all it could to protect the privacy of its patients if the billing company had details about patients' care.
On his first day Declan became familiar with all areas of the hospital's large radiology department. As he was organizing equipment left in the halfway, he overheard a conversation between two hospital administrators. He was surprised to hear that a portable hard drive containing non-encrypted patient information was missing. The administrators expressed relief that the hospital would be able to avoid liability. Declan was surprised, and wondered whether the hospital had plans to properly report what had happened.
Despite Declan's concern about this issue, he was amazed by the hospital's effort to integrate Electronic Health Records (EHRs) into the everyday care of patients. He thought about the potential for streamlining care even more if they were accessible to all medical facilities nationwide.
Declan had many positive interactions with patients. At the end of his first day, he spoke to one patient, John, whose father had just been diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease. John was about to get blood work done, and he feared that the blood work could reveal a genetic predisposition to the disease that could affect his ability to obtain insurance coverage. Declan told John that he did not think that was possible, but the patient was wheeled away before he could explain why. John plans to ask a colleague about this.
In one month, Declan has a paper due for one his classes on a health topic of his choice. By then, he will have had many interactions with patients he can use as examples. He will be pleased to give credit to John by name for inspiring him to think more carefully about genetic testing.
Although Declan's day ended with many Questions, he was pleased about his new position.
How can the radiology department address Declan's concern about paper waste and still comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

Question38: Which of the following laws is NOT involved in the regulation of employee background checks?

Question39: What was the original purpose of the Federal Trade Commission Act?

Question40: How did the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)?

Question41: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
Otto is preparing a report to his Board of Directors at Filtration Station, where he is responsible for the privacy program. Filtration Station is a U.S. company that sells filters and tubing products to pharmaceutical companies for research use. The company is based in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout the U.S. and Asi a. It sells to business customers across both the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. Filtration Station participates in the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system of the APEC Privacy Framework.
Unfortunately, Filtration Station suffered a data breach in the previous quarter. An unknown third party was able to gain access to Filtration Station's network and was able to steal data relating to employees in the company's Human Resources database, which is hosted by a third-party cloud provider based in the U.S. The HR data is encrypted. Filtration Station also uses the third-party cloud provider to host its business marketing contact database. The marketing database was not affected by the data breach. It appears that the data breach was caused when a system administrator at the cloud provider stored the encryption keys with the data itself.
The Board has asked Otto to provide information about the data breach and how updates on new developments in privacy laws and regulations apply to Filtration Station. They are particularly concerned about staying up to date on the various U.S. state laws and regulations that have been in the news, especially the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and breach notification requirements.
What can Otto do to most effectively minimize the privacy risks involved in using a cloud provider for the HR data?

Question42: What important action should a health care provider take if the she wants to qualify for funds under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)?

Question43: The "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" presented in a 2012 Obama administration report is generally based on?

Question44: Smith Memorial Healthcare (SMH) is a hospital network headquartered in New York and operating in 7 other states. SMH uses an electronic medical record to enter and track information about its patients. Recently, SMH suffered a data breach where a third-party hacker was able to gain access to the SMH internal network.
Because it is a HIPPA-covered entity, SMH made a notification to the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about the breach.
Which statement accurately describes SMH's notification responsibilities?

Question45: Which statute is considered part of U.S. federal privacy law?

Question46: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION
Otto is preparing a report to his Board of Directors at Filtration Station, where he is responsible for the privacy program. Filtration Station is a U.S. company that sells filters and tubing products to pharmaceutical companies for research use. The company is based in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout the U.S. and Asi a. It sells to business customers across both the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. Filtration Station participates in the Cross-Border Privacy Rules system of the APEC Privacy Framework.
Unfortunately, Filtration Station suffered a data breach in the previous quarter. An unknown third party was able to gain access to Filtration Station's network and was able to steal data relating to employees in the company's Human Resources database, which is hosted by a third-party cloud provider based in the U.S. The HR data is encrypted. Filtration Station also uses the third-party cloud provider to host its business marketing contact database. The marketing database was not affected by the data breach. It appears that the data breach was caused when a system administrator at the cloud provider stored the encryption keys with the data itself.
The Board has asked Otto to provide information about the data breach and how updates on new developments in privacy laws and regulations apply to Filtration Station. They are particularly concerned about staying up to date on the various U.S. state laws and regulations that have been in the news, especially the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and breach notification requirements.
The Board has asked Otto whether the company will need to comply with the new California Consumer Privacy Law (CCPA). What should Otto tell the Board?

Question47: In 2014, Google was alleged to have violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) through its Apps for Education suite of tools. For what specific practice did students sue the company?

Question48: In what way is the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act intended to help consumers?

Question49: Under state breach notification laws, which is NOT typically included in the definition of personal information?

Question50: Which federal law or regulation preempts state law?

Question51: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
A US-based startup company is selling a new gaming application. One day, the CEO of the company receives an urgent letter from a prominent EU-based retail partner. Triggered by an unresolved complaint lodged by an EU resident, the letter describes an ongoing investigation by a supervisory authority into the retailer's data handling practices.
The complainant accuses the retailer of improperly disclosing her personal data, without consent, to parties in the United States. Further, the complainant accuses the EU-based retailer of failing to respond to her withdrawal of consent and request for erasure of her personal dat a. Your organization, the US-based startup company, was never informed of this request for erasure by the EU-based retail partner. The supervisory authority investigating the complaint has threatened the suspension of data flows if the parties involved do not cooperate with the investigation. The letter closes with an urgent request: "Please act immediately by identifying all personal data received from our company." This is an important partnership. Company executives know that its biggest fans come from Western Europe; and this retailer is primarily responsible for the startup's rapid market penetration.
As the Company's data privacy leader, you are sensitive to the criticality of the relationship with the retailer.
Under the GDPR, the complainant's request regarding her personal information is known as what?

Question52: SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Larry has become increasingly dissatisfied with his telemarketing position at SunriseLynx, and particularly with his supervisor, Evan. Just last week, he overheard Evan mocking the state's Do Not Call list, as well as the people on it. "If they were really serious about not being bothered," Evan said, "They'd be on the national DNC list. That's the only one we're required to follow. At SunriseLynx, we call until they ask us not to." Bizarrely, Evan requires telemarketers to keep records of recipients who ask them to call "another time." This, to Larry, is a clear indication that they don't want to be called at all. Evan doesn't see it that way.
Larry believes that Evan's arrogance also affects the way he treats employees. The U.S. Constitution protects American workers, and Larry believes that the rights of those at SunriseLynx are violated regularly. At first Evan seemed friendly, even connecting with employees on social medi a. However, following Evan's political posts, it became clear to Larry that employees with similar affiliations were the only ones offered promotions.
Further, Larry occasionally has packages containing personal-use items mailed to work. Several times, these have come to him already opened, even though this name was clearly marked. Larry thinks the opening of personal mail is common at SunriseLynx, and that Fourth Amendment rights are being trampled under Evan's leadership.
Larry has also been dismayed to overhear discussions about his coworker, Sadie. Telemarketing calls are regularly recorded for quality assurance, and although Sadie is always professional during business, her personal conversations sometimes contain sexual comments. This too is something Larry has heard Evan laughing about. When he mentioned this to a coworker, his concern was met with a shrug. It was the coworker's belief that employees agreed to be monitored when they signed on. Although personal devices are left alone, phone calls, emails and browsing histories are all subject to surveillance. In fact, Larry knows of one case in which an employee was fired after an undercover investigation by an outside firm turned up evidence of misconduct. Although the employee may have stolen from the company, Evan could have simply contacted the authorities when he first suspected something amiss.
Larry wants to take action, but is uncertain how to proceed.
In regard to telemarketing practices, Evan the supervisor has a misconception regarding?

Question53: Which of the following types of information would an organization generally NOT be required to disclose to law enforcement?