Which of the following defines the secure processing of sensitive data?

The secure processing of sensitive data involves ensuring that data is protected both in transit and at rest, which is effectively achieved through the combination of encryption and authentication.

Encryption serves to protect the confidentiality of data by converting it into a format that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized users. This means that even if data is intercepted, it remains secure as long as the encryption keys are not compromised. Authentication, on the other hand, ensures that only authorized users can access the data, helping to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access.

When both encryption and authentication are in place, they work together to provide a robust security framework. Encryption secures the data itself, while authentication verifies the identity of users trying to access that data. This comprehensive approach is essential for sensitive data processing, as it addresses multiple facets of data security, making it much more difficult for intruders to compromise the system.

In contrast, relying solely on firewalls, employing network segmentation, or implementing authentication mechanisms alone do provide some level of security but do not address all the threats to sensitive data. Firewalls primarily control incoming and outgoing network traffic, network segmentation can help to limit exposure, and authentication ensures that only legitimate users are accessing systems, but without encryption, sensitive data could still be vulnerable during transmission