________ ensures secure transfer of data over an unsecured network, such as Internet.

The correct answer is Cryptography

• Cryptography includes a set of techniques for scrambling or disguising data so that it is available only to someone who can restore the data to its original form. Cryptography helps ensure data confidentiality, data integrity, authentication, and non - repudiation.
• Cryptography is associated with the process of converting ordinary plain text into unintelligible text and vice-versa. It is a method of storing and transmitting data in a particular form so that only those for whom it is intended can read and process it. Cryptography not only protects data from theft or alteration but can also be used for user authentication.
• Earlier cryptography was effectively synonymous with encryption but nowadays cryptography is mainly based on mathematical theory and computer science practice.