Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) — Question 165

Which of the following best describes data masking?

Answer options

• A. A method for creating similar but inauthentic datasets used for software testing and user training.
• B. A method used to protect prying eyes from data such as social security numbers and credit card data.
• C. A method where the last few numbers in a dataset are not obscured. These are often used for authentication.
• D. Data masking involves stripping out all digits in a string of numbers so as to obscure the original number.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because data masking is specifically aimed at protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access. Option A describes data generation rather than masking, C focuses on partial visibility which contradicts the concept of masking, and D incorrectly defines masking as complete removal of digits.