What is a common method for securing data transmitted over the internet?

Data masking is a technique for obscuring specific data with realistic but false information, primarily used for non-production environments or compliance, not for securing data in transit over the internet.

Physical security protects hardware and infrastructure from unauthorized access or damage, which is distinct from securing data actively being transmitted digitally over the internet.

Password protection secures access to systems or data at rest, but it does not inherently secure the data itself during transmission over an open network like the internet.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its successor TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over a computer network by encrypting the data transmitted between a client and a server, verifying server identity, and ensuring data integrity.