EdLaw int/eu/gdpr/SECURITY-AND-BREACH.md

language: en · last checked: 2026-09-06

Security of processing and breach notification

Security measures, notification of personal data breaches to the supervisory authority (72 hours), and communication to data subjects.

Article 32 — Security of processing

Verbatim from EUR-Lex (consolidated text 02016R0679-20160504), via the Publications Office Cellar API.

1. Taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller and the processor shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including inter alia as appropriate:

2. In assessing the appropriate level of security account shall be taken in particular of the risks that are presented by processing, in particular from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.

3. Adherence to an approved code of conduct as referred to in Article 40 or an approved certification mechanism as referred to in Article 42 may be used as an element by which to demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in paragraph 1 of this Article.

4. The controller and processor shall take steps to ensure that any natural person acting under the authority of the controller or the processor who has access to personal data does not process them except on instructions from the controller, unless he or she is required to do so by Union or Member State law.

Article 33 — Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority

Verbatim from EUR-Lex (consolidated text 02016R0679-20160504), via the Publications Office Cellar API.

1. In the case of a personal data breach, the controller shall without undue delay and, where feasible, not later than 72 hours after having become aware of it, notify the personal data breach to the supervisory authority competent in accordance with Article 55, unless the personal data breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons. Where the notification to the supervisory authority is not made within 72 hours, it shall be accompanied by reasons for the delay.

2. The processor shall notify the controller without undue delay after becoming aware of a personal data breach.

3. The notification referred to in paragraph 1 shall at least:

4. Where, and in so far as, it is not possible to provide the information at the same time, the information may be provided in phases without undue further delay.

5. The controller shall document any personal data breaches, comprising the facts relating to the personal data breach, its effects and the remedial action taken. That documentation shall enable the supervisory authority to verify compliance with this Article.

Article 34 — Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject

Verbatim from EUR-Lex (consolidated text 02016R0679-20160504), via the Publications Office Cellar API.

1. When the personal data breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller shall communicate the personal data breach to the data subject without undue delay.

2. The communication to the data subject referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall describe in clear and plain language the nature of the personal data breach and contain at least the information and measures referred to in points (b), (c) and (d) of Article 33(3).

3. The communication to the data subject referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be required if any of the following conditions are met:

4. If the controller has not already communicated the personal data breach to the data subject, the supervisory authority, having considered the likelihood of the personal data breach resulting in a high risk, may require it to do so or may decide that any of the conditions referred to in paragraph 3 are met.

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All article text above is reproduced verbatim from the EUR-Lex consolidated EU GDPR (CELEX 02016R0679-20160504), extracted mechanically via the Publications Office Cellar API. Each article carries the official ELI identifier as a trailing attribute anchor (e.g. {#art_8}), which also works as a fragment on the EUR-Lex HTML view; paragraphs and points carry derived anchors built from the article id and their printed labels (e.g. {#art_6-1-a}).