A junior analyst oversees data security by using randomly generated data while keeping the original data in a separate location. Which tool is used by the junior analyst?

Authentication is a security process that verifies the identity of a user or system. It does not involve the handling or manipulation of data itself; rather, it's focused on ensuring that only authorized users can access systems or data. Therefore, authentication does not apply to the scenario of managing sensitive data with random values.

Antivirus software is designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software. While it plays a crucial role in cybersecurity, it does not pertain to the management or secure handling of sensitive data. Hence, it is not relevant in the context of overseeing data security through data masking or replacement.

Encryption is a technique that transforms data into a secure format that cannot be easily understood without a key. While it protects data during storage and transmission, it does not involve replacing sensitive data with non-sensitive alternatives. Thus, it does not align with the junior analyst's method of using randomly generated data.