Which security measure converts readable data into unreadable format to protect confidentiality?
- Hashing
- Encryption
- Compression
- Encoding
Answer: Encryption
Encryption transforms plaintext into ciphertext using algorithms and keys, ensuring only authorized parties with decryption key can read the data. Protects data at rest (stored) and in transit (transmitted). Hashing is one-way for integrity; encoding (Base64) is not security; compression reduces size.