A technician is installing a wireless router for a home user. Which of the following will protect the data in transit between a device and the router?

Enabling encryption, typically WPA2 or WPA3, on a wireless router ensures that all data transmitted between connected devices and the router is scrambled. This encryption process makes the data unintelligible to anyone without the decryption key, thereby protecting its confidentiality from eavesdropping over the airwaves.

Setting a new SSID (Service Set Identifier) changes the network's name but does not inherently protect the data being transmitted over that network from interception.

Changing the default password for the router's administrative interface or the Wi-Fi network itself enhances security by preventing unauthorized access to the router's settings or the network, but it is not the direct mechanism for encrypting data in transit.

Using 802.11ac is a wireless networking standard that primarily offers faster speeds and improved range, but it does not inherently provide data encryption; encryption must be separately configured.