What is Tokenization and Masking?

Tokenization and masking are essential processes used to protect sensitive information within databases. The correct response highlights that these techniques serve a critical purpose in data security.

Tokenization involves replacing sensitive data with non-sensitive equivalents, known as tokens. These tokens retain the essential meaning of the original data without exposing it to unauthorized users. For example, in payment processing, credit card numbers can be replaced with unique tokens, allowing transactions to be processed without revealing actual card details.

Masking, on the other hand, modifies data in a way that it remains usable for testing or analysis but does not expose real sensitive information. For instance, in a database used for development or training purposes, a company's employee names could be masked, allowing analysts to work with realistic datasets without endangering actual employee privacy.

The other options, while they address different concepts, do not align with the specific definition of tokenization and masking in the context of data protection. Data compression relates to reducing file sizes, system response times concern performance enhancements, and user training does not pertain to the core principles of managing sensitive information in databases.