what is a ‘confidentiality breach’ in the context of gdpr?

A "confidentiality breach" in the context of GDPR is a type of personal data breach where there is unauthorized or accidental disclosure or access to personal data. This means personal data is made available or disclosed to individuals or entities who are not authorized to see it. Such a breach negatively impacts the confidentiality of the data, which is one of the core principles of GDPR along with integrity and availability. Confidentiality breaches can occur through accidental means, like sending data to the wrong recipient, or through deliberate acts, such as hacking or phishing attacks. In GDPR terms, a personal data breach including confidentiality breaches is defined as a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to personal data that is transmitted, stored, or otherwise processed. Confidentiality breaches specifically refer to incidents where data is disclosed or accessed without proper authorization, violating the requirement that personal data should not be available to unauthorized parties.