Which process involves safeguarding data to prevent illicit access or breaches?

The process that involves safeguarding data to prevent illicit access or breaches is data security. This encompasses a broad range of measures designed to protect data from unauthorized access and threats. Data security strategies may involve implementing access controls, using firewalls, conducting security audits, and applying various protocols to protect both data at rest and data in transit.

Data security focuses on ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data. It is fundamental in governing how data is stored, accessed, and shared, which is critical for maintaining trust and compliance with regulatory requirements.

While options like data backup and data recovery relate to maintaining copies of data and restoring it after loss, respectively, they do not directly address the proactive measures needed to secure data from unauthorized access. Data encryption, while an essential component of data security, specifically refers to the process of transforming data into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access but does not encompass the broader scope of all security measures. Therefore, data security stands out as the overarching process aimed at safeguarding data against breaches and ensuring overall data protection.