Which of the following should be AVOIDED to prevent confidential data loss from cyberattacks?

Storing the encrypted data and the encryption key at the same location poses a significant risk to data security. When the data and the key are in the same physical or logical space, malicious actors who gain access to that space can easily retrieve both the encrypted data and the key necessary to decrypt it. This defeats the purpose of encryption, which is meant to safeguard the data even in the event of a breach.

In contrast, storing them in different locations adds an important layer of security. Even if an attacker manages to access the encrypted data, they would still require the key, which would be in a separate location, making it more challenging for them to compromise the data.

Using two-factor access control and limiting third-party access are also effective strategies to enhance security, but they do not specifically address the vulnerabilities associated with data and key storage. Therefore, avoiding the practice of co-locating encrypted data and its encryption key is crucial in preventing potential data loss from cyberattacks.