Which technique makes data unreadable without a required key?

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Encryption provides data confidentiality by turning readable information into unreadable ciphertext unless you have the decryption key. The key, or pair of keys in asymmetric setups, is required to revert the data back to its original form. This means that even if data is exposed or stolen, without the key the content remains unintelligible.

This differs from masking, which hides values in displays or outputs but is not designed to keep data unreadable in storage or transit in a way that requires a key to reveal it. Anonymization removes or alters identifiers to prevent linking data to individuals, which affects identifiability rather than ensuring unreadability with a key. Role-based access control focuses on who can access data, not on rendering the data itself unreadable unless combined with other protections.