A GDPR breach is a security incident that leads to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or unauthorised access to personal data.
The GDPR distinguishes between three types of breaches: confidentiality breaches (unauthorised access or disclosure), integrity breaches (unauthorised alteration of data), and availability breaches (loss of access to data). Not every security incident qualifies as a reportable breach. Organisations must assess whether the breach poses a risk to the rights and freedoms of affected individuals to determine whether notification is required.
Under Article 33 of the GDPR, data controllers must notify their supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of a breach that is likely to result in a risk to individuals’ rights. If the breach poses a high risk, affected individuals must also be informed directly under Article 34. Late or incomplete notifications can result in additional fines.
Organisations must document all breaches regardless of whether they are reportable, maintaining a breach register that demonstrates compliance with their accountability obligations.
When a breach occurs, organisations need to quickly identify what data was affected and under what legal basis it was collected. Seers.ai maintains detailed consent records that map data collection activities to specific user permissions. This allows breach response teams to determine which individuals were affected, what data was involved, and whether consent was the legal basis for processing. Having these records readily available accelerates breach investigations and strengthens your position during regulatory scrutiny.
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