What is the primary security measure that can be used against regulatory violations in cloud environments?

Data masking is primarily utilized to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements. By obfuscating specific data elements within a dataset, organizations can ensure that personal identifiable information (PII) or other sensitive data is not exposed during testing, analytics, or any situation where it may come into contact with untrusted entities. This practice effectively reduces the risk of regulatory violations by enabling organizations to comply with laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, and others that mandate strict controls over the access and use of sensitive data.

In contrast, while data fragmentation can improve security by distributing data across multiple storage locations, it doesn't directly address the regulatory compliance aspect. Network segmentation can enhance security by isolating different network segments, reducing risk, but it too does not focus specifically on the handling of sensitive data to meet compliance standards. Simplified onboarding, while it can streamline access for users, does not inherently involve measures to mitigate regulatory risks related to data protection. Thus, data masking stands out as the most effective solution for safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring compliance in cloud environments.