Document Matching is best defined as what?

• A. Matching of an entire or partial document against a set of known hashes
• B. Encrypting documents for secure transmission
• C. Indexing documents for fast retrieval
• D. Watermarking documents to prevent copying

Answer: (A)

Document Matching relies on a content fingerprint to verify if a document corresponds to a known reference. The idea is to compute a hash (a fixed-length digest) from the entire document, or from parts of it for a partial match, and then compare that digest to a database of known hashes. If the hashes align, you can be confident the document (or the matched portion) is the same as the reference. Hashes are designed so even a small change in the document produces a very different digest, making this a precise way to detect exact copies or exact fragments. This approach is different from encrypting documents for secure transmission (which protects confidentiality), indexing for fast retrieval (which helps locate documents), or watermarking (which embeds marks to deter copying).