What term refers to the process of transforming data into a secure format to prevent unauthorized access?

The correct term for the process of transforming data into a secure format to prevent unauthorized access is encryption. Encryption involves converting plaintext data into an encoded format, known as ciphertext, using mathematical algorithms and encryption keys. This transformation ensures that only individuals or systems possessing the correct key can decrypt the information back into its original format, effectively protecting the data from unauthorized access.

Additionally, while hashing is a related concept often mentioned in security contexts, it serves a different purpose. Hashing generates a fixed-size output (hash) from input data and is primarily used for integrity verification rather than encryption. Redundancy refers to creating copies of data to ensure availability or reliability, and backup involves copying data to a separate location for recovery purposes. These processes do not transform data into a secure format like encryption does.