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CCSP Practice Question: Is implementing data masking to protect sensitive…
An organization is implementing data masking to protect sensitive data in non-production environments. Which THREE of the following are common data masking techniques? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between reversible protections (encryption) and irreversible obfuscation (masking), so candidates mistakenly select encryption because they confuse data masking with data encryption, not realizing masking must prevent reverse engineering of the original values.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Shuffling
Shuffling is a common data masking technique that randomly reorders values within a column to break the link between records while preserving the overall distribution and statistical properties. This ensures that sensitive data, such as names or account numbers, cannot be traced back to the original individuals, making it suitable for non-production environments where referential integrity is not required.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Shuffling
Why this is correct
Randomly reorders values within a column.
- ✓
Nulling
Why this is correct
Replaces sensitive values with null.
- ✗
Perturbation
Why it's wrong here
Perturbation adds noise but is less common for masking.
- ✗
Encryption
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is reversible and not considered masking.
- ✓
Substitution
Why this is correct
Replaces data with fictional but realistic values.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CCSP exam.