Rock the OneTrust Certified Privacy Pro Exam 2026 – Privacy Pros, Prepare to Shine!

The purpose of a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is to evaluate data processing activities that may pose high risks to individuals' rights and freedoms. This assessment is a critical requirement under various data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Its primary aim is to identify and mitigate any potential impacts that a specific processing operation may have on the privacy of individuals.

Conducting a DPIA involves a systematic process that includes describing the nature, scope, context, and purposes of the processing, assessing necessity and proportionality, and identifying and evaluating the risks to individuals. By doing so, organizations can take steps to address these risks before they process personal data, ensuring that they comply with legal obligations and safeguard individual rights effectively.

The other options list objectives that do not accurately encompass the broad purpose of a DPIA. For example, while encryption is an important aspect of data security, a DPIA is not specifically focused on ensuring that data is always encrypted. Similarly, assessing security breaches or obtaining user consent are important components of data protection, but they are not the main focus or function of a DPIA. The DPIA is specifically concerned with the proactive assessment of risks associated with data processing activities.