Directions : Read the following passage and answer the given questions. A data…
2023
Directions : Read the following passage and answer the given questions.
A data breach may be analogously construed as an intramural foray transpiring under the shroud of nocturnal stillness, where an infiltrator, akin to a digital brigand, subtly _________________ with invaluable assets, leaving the homeowner oblivious until the irrevocable damage manifests. In congruence, corporate entities find themselves ensnared in the surreptitious siphoning or compromise of consequential data within the digital milieu. This pervasive quandary casts its ominous pall across a myriad of global enterprises, with an astounding 83% of scrutinized organizations contending with recurrent incursions, as delineated in the comprehensive 2022 Cost of Data Breach analysis proffered by IBM.
Operationally, data breaches epitomize security conundrums culminating in the unauthorized manipulation, disclosure, access, or obliteration of personal data, opportunely exploiting systemic susceptibilities or misconfigurations. Cyber malefactors, be they individual agents or collective entities, deploy an eclectic array of stratagems—ranging from malware incursions to the subterfuge of phishing emails—enabling their ingress into corporate networks. In an epoch characterized by the ceaseless generation and utilization of data across sundry devices, systems, and applications, the peril of clandestine data access is exponentially exacerbated.
The repercussions of data breaches transcend mere pecuniary ramifications, precipitating deleterious effects on an organization's reputational standing and instigating punitive measures from regulatory bodies. International jurisdictions, attuned to the burgeoning threat matrix, have responded by promulgating stringent data protection and privacy statutes, thereby endowing individuals with autonomy over their data and obligating corporate entities to assume augmented responsibilities. Consequently, organizational prioritization of preventative and responsive stratagems becomes imperative, cognizant of the exigency of compliance with dynamically evolving regulatory paradigms amidst the contemporaneous milieu of data proliferation and cyber-security vicissitudes.
Which aspect contributes to the potential for unauthorized access?
- A.
Utilizing data security systems exclusively for the primary device.
- B.
The continuous generation and utilization of data across diverse devices and applications.
- C.
The continuous creation and technological advancement of devices.
- D.
Collaborating with cyber malefactors, exposing all devices to vulnerabilities.
- E.
Corporations compromising consequential data within the digital milieu.
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
A reading-comprehension detail/paraphrase question asks you to match an answer choice to an idea stated explicitly in the passage. The correct option restates one specific sentence of the text in plain words; distractors usually twist a real word from the passage, overstate it, or describe something the passage never claims. The method: locate the sentence that addresses the asked idea, then test each option against that exact sentence rather than against general knowledge.
Applying it here
The question asks what aspect contributes to the potential for unauthorized access. The relevant sentence sits in the second paragraph: in an era marked by the ceaseless generation and utilization of data across many devices, systems, and applications, the risk of secret data access is sharply increased. The choice “The continuous generation and utilization of data across diverse devices and applications” is a faithful paraphrase of that sentence, so it is the supported answer.
Why the other choices fall short
“Utilizing data security systems exclusively for the primary device” describes a security practice, not a cause of risk; the passage never names this as what raises the danger.
“The continuous creation and technological advancement of devices” shifts the focus to hardware advancement, whereas the passage attributes the heightened risk to data being generated and used, not to devices getting more advanced.
“Collaborating with cyber malefactors, exposing all devices to vulnerabilities” invents an action the passage does not describe; the text portrays attackers as outside intruders, not collaborators.
“Corporations compromising consequential data within the digital milieu” reverses the roles: the passage says corporations are the victims of data being siphoned or compromised, not the parties doing the compromising.