This statement is false because data masking and encryption in transit serve different purposes and have different security properties. Data masking alters the original sensitive data so that it remains unusable if disclosed, but it does not protect data against interception during transit. Encryption in transit ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read without the correct decryption key. Data masking is not a substitute for encryption in transit, especially when dealing with sensitive information such as PII, where data confidentiality must be preserved end-to-end.