What is the PRIMARY objective of data tokenization when handling sensitive information in a data center?

The primary objective of data tokenization when handling sensitive information in a data center is to replace sensitive data elements with non-sensitive substitutes, referred to as tokens, thereby protecting the underlying sensitive data from unauthorized access or exposure. Data tokenization effectively de-identifies the sensitive data, making it useless to attackers in the event of a data breach. Unlike encryption, which can be reversed with the correct key, tokenization does not involve encrypting the data. Instead, it replaces the sensitive data with a randomly generated token that has no intrinsic value. The relationship between the token and the original sensitive data is stored in a secure token vault, which is separate from the data center environment where the tokens are used. This means that even if an attacker gains access to the data center, they will only be able to access the tokens, not the actual sensitive data. Tokenization allows organizations to use and process sensitive data for various purposes, such as analytics and testing, without exposing the actual sensitive information to unnecessary risk. The tokens retain the format and characteristics of the original data, so they can be used in the same way as the original data without requiring changes to applications or systems. The secure token vault is the only place where the original sensitive data is stored, and access to the vault is strictly controlled. By replacing sensitive data with tokens, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of data breaches and comply with data privacy regulations.