What process would be used to prevent unauthorized data alterations during transfer?

Using integrity checks is the most effective process for preventing unauthorized data alterations during transfer. Integrity checks involve generating a unique hash value for the data being transmitted. When the data is sent, this hash value is also sent along with it. Upon receipt, the recipient generates a new hash value from the received data and compares it to the original hash. If both hash values match, it confirms that the data has not been altered during transfer. This method ensures that any unauthorized modification would result in a different hash value, thus signaling an integrity breach.

In contrast, data mining focuses on analyzing large sets of data for patterns and insights, which does not pertain to data integrity during transfer. Compression techniques are aimed at reducing the size of data for faster transmission but do not provide safeguards against data alteration. Encryption protocols primarily secure data by converting it into an unreadable format for unauthorized users, but while encryption can protect data confidentiality, it does not inherently check or ensure the integrity of the data being transferred.