A database administrator is updating the company’s SQL database, which stores credit card information for pending purchases. Which of the following is the best method to secure the data against a potential breach?

Tokenization is the best method because it replaces sensitive data (like credit card numbers) with a non-sensitive, unique identifier called a token. This token holds no intrinsic value or meaning if breached, as it cannot be reverse-engineered to reveal the original data. Hashing creates a one-way function, but the hash value itself could potentially be used in certain attacks if the original data is known or guessed (e.g., rainbow tables). Obfuscation makes data harder to understand but doesn't remove its inherent sensitivity. Masking replaces parts of the data with placeholder characters (e.g., XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-1234), which still leaves some sensitive information exposed and doesn't protect the full original value.