Hybrid cloud computing allows organizations to take advantage of public and private cloud models. Which best practice should organizations follow to ensure data security in the private cloud?

Using standard protocols alone does not guarantee security - standard protocols can be unencrypted (such as HTTP or FTP) and this choice does not address confidentiality or integrity of the data itself.

Deliberately communicating over unsecured network connections is a security risk, not a best practice - even with standard protocols, data transmitted over unsecured channels is exposed to interception.

Communicating data security risks to customers and end users is a transparency or compliance practice, not a technical control that actively protects data security in the private cloud.

Encrypting data at rest protects stored data from unauthorized access if storage media is compromised, while encrypting data in motion (using TLS/IPsec) prevents interception during transmission between cloud environments. Together these controls address the two states where data is most vulnerable in a hybrid cloud model, fulfilling core data security requirements regardless of the underlying infrastructure.