What type of information does tokenization protect?

Tokenization primarily protects sensitive personal data. This method involves replacing sensitive data elements, such as credit card numbers or personally identifiable information (PII), with non-sensitive equivalents known as tokens. The original data is securely stored in a separate location, while the tokens can be used in non-sensitive environments, allowing for processes such as payments or data analysis to occur without exposing the sensitive information itself.

By using tokenization, organizations minimize the risk of data breaches, as the tokens hold no intrinsic value and cannot be used outside of the specific context for which they were created. This focus on safeguarding sensitive personal data makes tokenization a crucial technique in the fields of data security and compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR and PCI-DSS. The other options relate to different types of information that do not focus on protecting sensitive personal data through this specific method.