What types of incidents must be reported to regulatory bodies?

The correct answer highlights the importance of regulatory compliance regarding incidents that involve personal information. Organizations are typically required to report data breaches that affect personal information because these incidents pose a significant risk to individuals’ privacy and can lead to identity theft, financial loss, or other harm. Reporting such breaches to regulatory bodies ensures that appropriate actions can be taken to mitigate risks, inform affected individuals, and maintain transparency with regulators.

Regulatory frameworks, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU or various state laws in the U.S., mandate that organizations report breaches that may impact individuals, thus emphasizing the protection of personal information as a critical aspect of data security. This aligns with the regulatory intent to safeguard personal data and uphold the rights of individuals.

In contrast, other options do not reflect the necessity of reporting breaches that involve personal information or misinterpret the scope of what needs to be reported. For instance, reporting all security incidents regardless of severity may overwhelm regulatory bodies with minor issues that do not threaten individuals' privacy. Similarly, incidents that do not involve personal information do not meet the criteria for mandatory reporting under most regulations, and external threats that do not result in data breaches typically do not require reporting either.