Q.Choose the correct option: The technology shown by 'https' and a padlock symbol, which encrypts the connection between a browser and a website, is —

The padlock and 'https' in a web address signal that the link between your browser and the site is encrypted so that payment data travels safely.

SSL/TLS scrambles the data in transit, so even if it is intercepted it cannot be read by an outsider.

Each option is a real security or payment term, so we identify the one that specifically encrypts the browser-to-website link shown by https and the padlock.

• (a) a firewall — guards a network by blocking unauthorised access; it does not create the https padlock.
• (b) SSL/TLS — correct. Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security encrypts the connection between the user's browser and the website, and its presence is shown by 'https' and the padlock symbol.
• (c) a payment gateway — securely carries payment data to the bank for approval, but it is not what the padlock represents.
• (d) an OTP — a one-time password that authenticates the user for a single transaction; it is not the connection-encryption technology.

Confusing the padlock (SSL/TLS, which protects data in transit) with a firewall (which protects a network from outside access). They solve different problems and are not interchangeable.