In terms of encrypting data, which of the following is BEST described as a way to safeguard password data by adding random data to it in storage?

Salting involves generating a unique, random string (the salt) for each password and combining it with the password before applying a hashing algorithm. This process ensures that even if two users have the same password, their stored hashes will be different, effectively preventing pre-computed rainbow table attacks and dictionary attacks against the password database.

Hashing algorithms transform data into a fixed-size string, but they do not inherently involve adding random data *to the password itself* prior to processing, which is the specific function of salt.

Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a type of public-key cryptography used for encryption, digital signatures, and key exchange, not for adding random data to password hashes in storage.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a system for managing digital certificates and public/private key pairs to enable secure communication and authentication, not for directly salting password data.