Which encryption method is noted for protecting credit card numbers in transit?

Which encryption method is noted for protecting credit card numbers in transit?

• A. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
• B. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
• C. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• D. RSA

Answer: (A)

Protecting data as it moves between your browser and a server relies on creating a secure channel. SSL (and its modern successor TLS) provides that channel by authenticating the server with a certificate and negotiating encryption keys, so the payment details are encrypted during transit and protected from eavesdropping and tampering. Once the secure channel is established, the actual data is encrypted with a symmetric cipher, making the transmission confidential and reliable. The other terms are important parts of the cryptographic system: AES is a strong encryption algorithm used to protect data itself, PKI is the certificate-based framework that enables trust, and RSA is a public-key algorithm used in the handshake to establish keys. But the mechanism specifically noted for safeguarding credit card numbers while they’re moving across the network is the secure transport channel provided by SSL/TLS.

Protecting data as it moves between your browser and a server relies on creating a secure channel. SSL (and its modern successor TLS) provides that channel by authenticating the server with a certificate and negotiating encryption keys, so the payment details are encrypted during transit and protected from eavesdropping and tampering. Once the secure channel is established, the actual data is encrypted with a symmetric cipher, making the transmission confidential and reliable. The other terms are important parts of the cryptographic system: AES is a strong encryption algorithm used to protect data itself, PKI is the certificate-based framework that enables trust, and RSA is a public-key algorithm used in the handshake to establish keys. But the mechanism specifically noted for safeguarding credit card numbers while they’re moving across the network is the secure transport channel provided by SSL/TLS.