In the context of cybersecurity, what does 'masking' specifically protect?

Masking primarily protects data from unauthorized access by obscuring sensitive information. This technique is often utilized in various environments where sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII) or financial information, is displayed. By masking, the actual data is not shown or is altered so that it cannot be easily interpreted or misused by individuals who do not have the appropriate clearance or permission to view it.

For instance, in a database that holds customer information, instead of showing a full credit card number, the system may display only the last four digits, thus obscuring the rest of the data while still allowing for operational functionalities, like verification. This helps maintain confidentiality and minimizes the risk of data breaches by preventing unauthorized users from accessing sensitive information even if they gain entry to the system.

In contrast, user privacy during data entry addresses how information is captured sensitively and does not directly relate to data protection once it is recorded. Data integrity during transmission focuses on the accuracy and consistency of data as it moves between locations rather than preventing access, while system performance under high load pertains to how well a system can operate under stress, which is unrelated to data protection itself.