Data protection (for cookies, tokens)?

Short answer: ASP.NET Core uses Data Protection API to: Encrypt authentication cookies Protect tokens (e.g., password reset tokens) Configure: services.AddDataProtection() .PersistKeysToFileSystem(new DirectoryInfo("path")) .SetApplicationName("AppName"); Used internally by Identity and cookie middleware.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.