Isn't the main point here about making data unreadable rather than just changing format or reducing size? Compressing can make data hard to read for humans but it's not actually for confidentiality. Wouldn't encrypting be the right fit given what the exam usually asks?

Wouldn't it be encrypting? Only encryption makes the data unreadable for anyone without the key. The other options like compressing or archiving don't actually scramble the data, they just change storage or size.

Does the question mention confidentiality or just data unreadable in general? If it’s really about being unreadable without a key, encrypting is right, but if it’s about unreadable to humans under any format, compressing could fit. SC-900 sometimes slips wording that changes what they want.

Yep, that's encrypting. Only encryption actually scrambles data so it's unreadable without a key, the rest don’t touch confidentiality. Pretty sure that’s what Microsoft wants here, but open if anyone disagrees.

Yeah, it's encrypting. Only encryption actually turns data into something truly unreadable to anyone who doesn't have the key. Compression just changes the format, not the confidentiality. Seen similar logic show up in SC-900 practice stuff, but let me know if I'm off.

Encrypting is the best fit since it turns plaintext into ciphertext, making the data unreadable unless you have the right key. Compressing or archiving doesn’t hide content for confidentiality, just changes format or reduces size. Pretty sure SC-900 always uses "encrypting" for this kind of scenario, but open to hear other takes if I missed something.