What does the regular expression method of redaction focus on?

The regular expression method of redaction focuses on looking for patterns of data to redact. This approach utilizes the flexibility and power of regular expressions to identify and match specific patterns within data strings, such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or email addresses. By applying these patterns, the redaction process can effectively mask or obscure the identified data while allowing the rest of the content to remain intact.

This method is particularly useful because it enables precise control over what data is redacted based on defined rules. Users can create complex and custom patterns that suit their specific requirements, making it an efficient tool for data privacy while maintaining the overall structure of the data.

Other methods, like masking the entire column, would cover all data indiscriminately, not allowing for targeted redaction based on defined patterns. Generating random values for data displayed serves a different purpose, focusing on obfuscation rather than redaction based on identifiable patterns. Redacting specific characters in a string could represent a form of redaction but lacks the pattern-matching capabilities that regular expressions provide, which makes option C the optimal choice.