Which of the following best describes a data breach?

A data breach is best described as a scenario where unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive data. This definition encapsulates the core issue surrounding data breaches, which is the lack of proper access controls and security measures allowing individuals—who should not have access—to view or exfiltrate personal, financial, or confidential information.

In the context of cybersecurity, a data breach can result from various security failures, such as hacking, malware, or even insider threats, leading to significant consequences for both individuals and organizations. It highlights the importance of robust security practices to safeguard sensitive information against unauthorized access.

The other options do not accurately define a data breach. Recycling old data refers to the practice of reusing existing data for new purposes, which does not inherently involve unauthorized access. Encrypting sensitive data is a security measure aimed at protecting data by making it unreadable without proper decryption keys, thus preventing a breach rather than describing one. Researching security vulnerabilities involves identifying weaknesses within a system but does not imply that unauthorized access to data is occurring.