Which term means unauthorized listening to sensitive information?

Which term means unauthorized listening to sensitive information?

• A. Eavesdropping
• B. Encryption
• C. Error checking
• D. Error codes

Answer: (A)

Unauthorized listening to sensitive information is called eavesdropping. It describes a passive attack where someone intercepts communications to read data they shouldn’t have access to, compromising confidentiality. Encryption is the protective measure that combats eavesdropping by transforming readable data into unreadable ciphertext, so even if intercepted, it isn’t understandable. The other terms—error checking and error codes—deal with detecting or indicating data transmission problems, not with listening in on private data.

Unauthorized listening to sensitive information is called eavesdropping. It describes a passive attack where someone intercepts communications to read data they shouldn’t have access to, compromising confidentiality. Encryption is the protective measure that combats eavesdropping by transforming readable data into unreadable ciphertext, so even if intercepted, it isn’t understandable. The other terms—error checking and error codes—deal with detecting or indicating data transmission problems, not with listening in on private data.