DATA BREACH INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN
1. PURPOSE, SCOPE AND LEGAL BASIS
Pursuant to Article 12(5) of the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 ("KVKK"), where personal data processed are obtained by others through unlawful means, the data controller must notify the data subject and the Personal Data Protection Board ("Board") as soon as possible; where necessary, the Board may announce the breach on its website. This Data Breach Incident Response Plan ("Plan") sets out the steps, roles, timelines and record-keeping arrangements for the detection, assessment, containment, notification and remediation of a personal data breach at TREATX Medikal Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. ("TreatX" or the "Company").
The Plan covers all personal data processed by the Company both as data controller (Platform membership, booking and transaction records, payment flows, marketing and employee data) and as data processor (hosting and transmission of health files on behalf of Service Providers); all electronic and physical recording environments; and all employees, managers, interns, subcontractor personnel and suppliers processing personal data on behalf of the Company under contract.
Legal basis: Article 12 of the KVKK; the Board's Decision No. 2019/10 dated 24 January 2019 on the Procedures and Principles for Personal Data Breach Notification (72-hour rule, notification obligations of data processors, overseas data controllers, and the requirement to prepare and periodically review a data breach response plan); the Board's Decision No. 2019/271 dated 18 September 2019 (minimum elements of notification to data subjects); the Board's Decision No. 2018/10 (special categories of personal data); and the Personal Data Security Guide. This Plan shall be applied together with the Security Policy, the Policy on the Protection and Processing of Special Categories of Personal Data, and the Personal Data Retention and Destruction Policy.
2. DEFINITIONS
Term | Definition |
Personal data breach (breach) | Personal data being obtained by others through unlawful means (KVKK Art. 12(5)). For purposes of this Plan, accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or unauthorised access to personal data (confidentiality, integrity and availability breaches) are also treated as breaches and are subject to the same process. |
Security incident | Any event not yet confirmed as a breach but that may affect personal data (such as suspicious access, phishing email, lost device or software error report). Where there is doubt, the event is handled as a breach until classified by the Team. |
Data Protection Officer | The authorised person responsible for operation of this Plan and for notifications to the Board and data subjects and, if the Company is registered with VERBIS, to be notified as the 'contact person': Alper Göknar, Board Member. |
Incident Response Team (Team) | The core team specified in Section 4, convened under the coordination of the Data Protection Officer in the event of a breach. |
Breach Notification Portal | The Personal Data Breach Notification Form available through the Authority's breach notification portal.https://ihlalbildirim.kvkk.gov.tr |
Service Provider / supplier | A healthcare institution providing healthcare services through the Platform and acting as data controller for its own patient records; and hosting, email, payment infrastructure and similar service providers processing data on behalf of the Company. |
Breach Register | The record in which all security incidents and breaches, their effects and measures taken are documented, whether or not notified to the Board, and kept ready for Board inspection (Section 6). |
3. EVENTS CONSIDERED BREACHES AND EXAMPLES
The following and similar events are treated as personal data breaches and are subject to this Plan:
4. ROLES AND INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM
Every employee, supplier and Service Provider who becomes aware of an actual or suspected breach must report it immediately and without delay through the channel specified in Section 5.1. No sanction shall be imposed for a report made in good faith; delaying or concealing a report is subject to disciplinary provisions.
Role | Person / Function | Duties and authority |
Data Protection Officer (Team Leader) | Alper Göknar | Receives internal reports; conducts preliminary assessment and classification; convenes the Team; prepares and makes notifications to the Board and data subjects; maintains the Breach Register; prepares the closure report. |
Information Security / IT Lead | Alper Göknar | Technical detection and scope analysis; containment (cutting access, isolation, key/password reset); preservation of logs and evidence; root-cause analysis; technical remediation. |
Legal | Geçmez Hukuk & Danışmanlık Bürosu | Determines notification obligations (Board, data subjects, Service Providers and others); contractual notifications; judicial processes and correspondence with competent authorities; legal review of public statements. |
Product / Platform Manager | Serenay Kırbay | Manages remediation of Platform-originated errors; identifies affected users and records through the system; immediately removes content in publication or authorisation failures. |
Service Provider Relations | Serenay Kırbay | Notification and coordination with affected Service Providers; collection of information for Service Provider-originated breaches. |
Support / Communications | Sinem Kartaltepe | Sends notifications to data subjects in their account language; prepares support channels for breach-related questions; Platform announcements. |
Human Resources | Serenay Kırbay | Investigation, disciplinary action and training for employee-originated breaches; internal communication. |
Senior Management | Serenay Kırbay | Immediately informed of medium- and high-risk breaches; resource allocation, public communications and strategic decisions; appointment of a single spokesperson. |
The 24/7 contact details of Team members and alternates are maintained in the contact list annexed to this Plan and updated at least every [6] months (ANNEX 4: Contact List).
5. INCIDENT RESPONSE PROCESS
5.1 Detection and internal reporting
Any person who becomes aware of an incident shall immediately report it to the Data Protection Officer via support@treatx.health / emergency line: +90 531 6388295; outside business hours, the alternate contact listed in the contact list shall be contacted. The internal report shall contain the minimum information in ANNEX 2; missing information shall not delay reporting and may be completed later. The 72-hour period foreseen for notification to the Board starts when the Company becomes aware of the breach; delays in internal reporting do not extend this period. A breach notification received from a supplier or Service Provider is routed through the same channel and the time of receipt is recorded as the time of awareness.support@treatx.health
5.2 Preliminary assessment and classification
Within no more than [4] hours after receiving the internal report, the Data Protection Officer performs a preliminary assessment: whether an actual breach has occurred, affected systems, categories of data (distinguishing special categories), estimated number of persons and records affected, and whether the incident is ongoing. An incident number is assigned and entered in the Breach Register. If suspicion of a breach remains, the Team convenes. Senior Management is informed at the same stage for incidents involving health data, financial data or a large number of persons.
5.3 Containment and preservation of evidence
Under the Team's supervision, measures to stop and mitigate the effects of the breach are taken immediately: terminating unauthorised access and resetting affected accounts, keys and passwords; isolating affected systems; recalling incorrectly transmitted content and obtaining confirmation of destruction from the recipient; immediately removing content from the Platform in publication or authorisation failures; and restoring from backups where necessary. Logs, system images and other evidence are preserved unchanged and time-stamped for potential judicial proceedings and Board inspection; containment measures must not be implemented in a way that destroys evidence.
5.4 Risk assessment
The Team evaluates the nature and cause of the breach, the type and sensitivity of affected data, the number of persons and records affected, categories of data subjects, the extent to which measures taken reduce the impact (for example, encryption), and potential consequences for data subjects (identity theft, fraud, discrimination, reputational damage, physical safety), and classifies the breach as follows:
Level | Criterion | Example | Outcome |
Low | No adverse effect on data subjects, or negligible effect. | A list containing only names and corporate email addresses accidentally sent to a business partner subject to confidentiality obligations and recalled. | Recorded in the Breach Register; Board notification assessed by Team decision. |
Medium | Adverse effect is possible but limited; measures taken substantially reduce the impact. | Loss of an encrypted device; short-term unauthorised access to a limited amount of account information. | Board notification; Senior Management informed; notification to data subjects assessed. |
High | Serious adverse effect; special-category or financial data; large number of persons; vulnerable groups. | Health files sent to the wrong Service Provider; B/A images visible outside consent scope; database leak. | Board and data subjects notified; Senior Management informed immediately; crisis communications. |
Company rule: every breach involving health data is handled as high risk regardless of scope (Policy on the Protection and Processing of Special Categories of Personal Data, Section 10). Where there is doubt as to whether notification to the Board is required, the decision shall favour notification.
5.5 Notifications
(a) Notification to the Board. The breach shall be notified without delay and no later than 72 hours after awareness, using the Personal Data Breach Notification Form in the Breach Notification Portal. The notification shall include when the breach occurred and was detected, how it occurred, affected data categories and estimated numbers of persons/records, likely consequences, measures taken and planned, and contact-person details. If all information cannot be provided at once, notification shall be made in phases; if notification cannot be made within 72 hours, reasons for the delay shall accompany the notification. Public communications shall be prepared in accordance with Section 8, taking into account that the Board may announce the breach on its website.
(b) Notification to data subjects. As soon as affected data subjects are identified, they shall be notified within the shortest reasonable time, directly through the email address or telephone number registered in the system or by Platform notification; where direct contact is not possible, by an appropriate method such as a notice published on the Platform. The notification shall be sent with the approval of the Data Protection Officer, in clear and plain language, in the data subject's account language (Turkish/English), and shall contain the minimum elements in ANNEX 3. The support channel shall be prepared for breach-related questions before notification.
(c) Notification as data processor (to Service Providers). If the breach affects health files hosted or transmitted by the Company on behalf of a Service Provider, the Company shall notify the affected Service Provider without delay and no later than [24] hours, in accordance with Board Decision No. 2019/10, using the content in ANNEX 2 and a verified channel. For such data, notification to the Board and patients is the responsibility of the Service Provider (data controller), and the Company shall provide the information and support required for those notifications. If the same incident also affects records for which the Company is the data controller (account, booking, consent records, message metadata), the Company shall make its own Board and data-subject notifications separately and in parallel; the two notifications shall cross-reference each other and remain consistent.
(d) Notifications received from suppliers and Service Providers. Under data processing agreements and the Service Provider membership agreement, breaches at suppliers and breaches at Service Providers affecting patients originating through the Platform must be notified to the Company without delay and no later than [24] hours. The Company routes the notification through the channel in Section 5.1; where data for which the Company is responsible are affected, the 72-hour period begins when the notification is received. Where a breach at a Service Provider established abroad affects data subjects resident in Türkiye, the membership agreement shall remind that Service Provider of its notification obligations to the Board and the Company shall confirm that notification has been made.
(e) Other notifications. Depending on the nature of the incident, the Team assesses whether the following notifications are required and records its decision in the Breach Register:
Recipient | Condition and basis |
Law enforcement / Chief Public Prosecutor's Office | Where the breach raises suspicion of a criminal offence (Turkish Criminal Code Art. 135 et seq. on personal-data offences; Art. 243 et seq. on cybercrime); through Legal, with evidence preserved. |
Payment institution (iyzico) and banks | Where the payment flow or transaction references are affected; within contractual notification periods (card data are not stored in Company systems). |
Ministry of Health / USHAŞ | [Where required by international health tourism legislation or authorisation-certificate conditions] for incidents affecting patient data. |
USOM / BTK | [For incidents constituting a cyberattack, for reporting and support purposes — where necessary]. |
Insurance company | [If cyber-security insurance exists] within the notification period specified in the policy. |
Foreign authorities | Where data subjects established abroad are affected, applicability of the relevant country's law (e.g. GDPR) is assessed with Legal. |
Public / press | Only by Senior Management decision and after Legal review, through a single spokesperson (Section 8). |
5.6 Review and remediation
Within no more than [15] days after containment of the incident, the Team prepares a closure report covering the incident timeline, root-cause analysis, affected data and persons, measures taken and their effectiveness, notifications made, additional technical and administrative actions required, need for policy/procedure updates, training needs, and resource/infrastructure investment needs. The report is submitted to Senior Management, added to the Breach Register, and lessons identified are reflected in the next exercise scenario.
6. BREACH REGISTER AND DOCUMENTATION
All security incidents and breaches, whether or not notified to the Board, are entered in the Breach Register and kept ready for Board inspection. Each record shall contain at least: incident number; dates and times of occurrence, detection, awareness and internal reporting; description and cause of the incident; affected systems, data categories and numbers of persons/records; risk level and rationale; measures taken; notifications made and not made (recipient, date, rationale); and closure report. The Breach Register and incident files are retained for 10 years from closure of the incident in accordance with the Personal Data Retention and Destruction Policy; access is restricted to the Data Protection Officer and Legal.
7. PREVENTIVE MEASURES, TRAINING AND EXERCISES
In addition to the technical and administrative measures in the Security Policy, the following practices are carried out to reduce breach risk:
8. CONFIDENTIALITY, COMMUNICATION DISCIPLINE AND SANCTIONS
Incident information is shared only with the Team and assigned persons on a "need-to-know" basis. Only the single spokesperson designated by Senior Management is authorised to make external statements concerning the incident, and such statements are subject to Legal review. Employee conduct contrary to this Plan (failure to report, delay, destruction of evidence, unauthorised disclosure) is subject to disciplinary procedures; breaches by suppliers and Service Providers are subject to contractual sanctions and, where necessary, legal remedies. Confidentiality undertakings under the Special Categories of Personal Data Policy also apply to incident-response processes.
9. EFFECTIVE DATE AND REVIEW
This Plan entered into force on 5 October 2026 by decision of the competent corporate body. The Plan shall be reviewed at least annually, and also after every significant incident and exercise, following material product/infrastructure changes and upon changes in legislation (including the general KVKK reform agenda); the contact list shall be updated at least every [6] months. Changes in legislation apply directly even if this Plan has not yet been updated.
ANNEX 1: RESPONSE FLOW AND TIMELINE
Step | Responsible | Target time | Output / record |
Awareness of incident and internal reporting | Anyone becoming aware | Immediately (Hour 0) | Internal report (ANNEX 2); record of time of awareness |
Preliminary assessment and classification; convening the Team | Data Protection Officer | ≤ [4] hours | Incident number; Breach Register entry |
Containment and evidence preservation | IT / Product | Immediately and continuously | Response notes; preserved logs |
Risk assessment; informing Senior Management | Team | ≤ [24] hours | Risk level and rationale |
Notification to Service Provider as data processor | Service Provider Relations / Legal | ≤ [24] hours | Verified notification record |
Notification to the Board (Breach Notification Portal) | Data Protection Officer | ≤ 72 hours from awareness | Copy of form and application/reference number |
Notification to data subjects | Data Protection Officer / Support | Shortest reasonable time (as soon as affected persons are identified) | Notification text (ANNEX 3) and delivery records |
Other notifications (5.5-e) | Legal | According to the nature of the incident and contractual/policy deadlines | Decision and correspondence records |
Closure report and remediation | Team | ≤ [15] days | Closure report; Senior Management presentation |
ANNEX 2: INTERNAL BREACH REPORT FORM — MINIMUM CONTENT
Field | Description |
Reporting person | Full name, department/organisation (employee, supplier, Service Provider), contact details, date-time of report |
Time of occurrence and detection | Date-time of occurrence if known; date-time of detection; whether the incident is ongoing |
Description of incident | What happened, how it was detected, which system/environment/channel was affected (Platform, email, device, paper, supplier) |
Affected data | Data categories (identity, contact, health — special category —, financial, message content, etc.); estimated number of persons and records; affected Service Providers |
Affected data-subject groups | Service Recipient/patient, Service Provider representative, employee, candidate, visitor; country/language information |
Initial measures taken | Termination of access, recall of content, persons informed |
Additional information | Evidence such as screenshots, logs and emails; risk of recurrence |
ANNEX 3: NOTIFICATION TO DATA SUBJECT — MINIMUM ELEMENTS AND TEMPLATE
Pursuant to Board Decision No. 2019/271, notification to the data subject shall be made in clear and plain language and shall contain at least the following elements:
Element | Description |
When the breach occurred | Date (and time range if known) and when it was detected |
Categories of personal data affected | Which data were affected, distinguishing personal data from special categories of personal data |
Likely consequences | Potential effects of the breach on the data subject |
Measures taken and recommended | Measures taken by the Company and steps recommended to the data subject (password change, caution regarding suspicious communications, etc.) |
Contact channels | Name and contact details of the contact person, or the Company's website address and support/call channels |
ANNEX 4: CONTACT LIST
Serenay Kırbay | +90 531 6388295 |