What is the general term for converting data into a symbolic form to hide its meaning?

• A. Encoding
• B. Decoding
• C. Encryption
• D. Compression

Answer: (A)

Hiding information by transforming it into a coded form that only someone with the right key can read is encryption. The data is turned into ciphertext using algorithms and keys, and the original plaintext is recovered only through decryption with the proper key. Encoding, on the other hand, changes data into a different representation to allow storage or transmission and does not aim to conceal meaning; it’s reversible without secret information. Decoding is simply the reversal of encoding, not about secrecy. Compression reduces size and is not about hiding meaning. So, the term that best fits “converting data into a symbolic form to hide its meaning” is encryption.