Which term describes encryption of data during processing by an application?

• A. Data in transit encryption
• B. Data at rest encryption
• C. Data in use encryption
• D. Hashing for integrity

Answer: (C)

Protecting data while it is actively being processed in memory is data in use encryption. This covers the moment a program loads data, performs computations, and may temporarily hold results in RAM. It's the hardest form to secure because the data must be decrypted for computation, so techniques like memory encryption, trusted execution environments, or specialized schemes (e.g., homomorphic encryption) are used to protect it during processing.

Data in transit encryption protects data as it moves across networks, and data at rest encryption safeguards stored data on disks or backups. Hashing for integrity verifies that data hasn’t been altered, but it does not conceal the content, so it isn’t encryption.