Which of the following protocols provides encryption using cryptography for the data in transit?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is the correct answer because it is a protocol designed specifically to secure data in transit through encryption. When SSL is implemented, it creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser, ensuring that any data exchanged remains confidential and is protected from interception by unauthorized parties.

SSL employs a combination of asymmetric and symmetric encryption to authenticate the parties involved in the communication and to encrypt the information transferred, thereby maintaining data integrity and confidentiality during transmission over the internet.

In contrast, the other protocols do not primarily aim for data encryption during transit. DNS is used for resolving domain names into IP addresses but does not inherently provide encryption. HTTP is the standard for transmitting data across the web but does not encrypt data; instead, its secure variant, HTTPS, utilizes SSL or TLS for that purpose. MIME is a standard that defines the format for sending multimedia content via email and does not involve encryption for data in transit. Therefore, SSL stands out as the protocol focused on ensuring secure communications through data encryption.