Question

When must a breach be reported to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team?

a) Within 1 hours of discovery
b) Within 24 hours of discovery
c) Within 48 hours of discovery
d) Within 72 hours of discovery

Answer 1

A breach must be reported to the US-CERT typically within one hour of discovery for federal agencies, but this is a best practice guideline, not a legal requirement. Specific reporting requirements may vary based on sector and agency regulations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the protocol for reporting a breach to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). For most entities, there is not a strict requirement specifying a time frame within which a breach must be reported to the US-CERT. However, certain sectors and government agencies may have specific mandates. For instance, for federal agencies, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) requires immediate incident reporting, typically within one hour of discovery, though this is a best practice guideline rather than a legally binding timeframe.

It's important to consult the specific reporting requirements that might apply to the entity experiencing the breach, such as guidelines provided by federal regulations, state laws, or industry-specific standards like HIPAA for healthcare entities.