Data breach under data protection laws

A data breach is breach that results in the accidental or unlawful destruction of personal data that is transmitted, stored or otherwise processed, or in the loss, alteration, publication or unauthorised access to that data.

• The main types of safety failures:

  • Data breach that includes breach of confidentiality (confidentiality breach) – unauthorised or misleading sharing of personal data or unauthorised access to it.

  • Data breach that leads to information becoming inaccessible (availability breach) – loss of access to personal data or destruction of personal data by mistake or without permission.

  • Integrity breach (involving a change in personal data) – a change in personal data by mistake or without permission.