Which action is commonly used to protect sensitive information from being accessed without permission?

The use of encryption is a fundamental strategy for protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access. Encryption transforms data into a coded format that can only be read or decrypted by those with the correct decryption key or credentials. This means that even if unauthorized parties manage to intercept or gain access to the encrypted information, they would be unable to understand it without the necessary key, thereby safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of the data.

By encrypting sensitive information, organizations can ensure that even in the event of a data breach or similar security incident, the information remains secure and unusable to the attacker. This capability is essential for compliance with various data protection regulations and standards that require organizations to adequately protect sensitive information.

In contrast, while actions like data sanitization (cleaning or wiping data from storage), software updates (patching vulnerabilities), and network segmentation (isolating parts of a network) are also important security practices, they serve different purposes and may not directly prevent unauthorized access to data. Data sanitization is more about ensuring that deleted data cannot be recovered, software updates are critical for fixing vulnerabilities in applications and systems, and network segmentation helps control traffic and limit access within networks. However, encryption directly addresses the protection of data confidentiality and is a crucial component of a comprehensive security