protect

verb

• keep safe from harm or injury:he tried to protect Kelly from the attack [no object]:use a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB
• (often as adjective protected) aim to preserve (a threatened species or area) by legislating against collecting, hunting, or development:the natterjack toad is a protected species logging is continuing in protected areas in violation of an international agreement
• Economics shield (a domestic industry) from competition by imposing import duties on foreign goods: Japan’s Ministry of Trade & Industry erected barriers to protect the country’s infant computer industry
• Computing restrict access to or use of (data or a memory location): security products are designed to protect information from unauthorized access