Step 1: Understanding access levels in Java.
Access modifiers in Java determine the visibility and accessibility of classes, methods, and variables. These modifiers control how different parts of a program can interact with each other.
Step 2: Types of access modifiers.
Java provides four main access levels:
Public: Accessible from anywhere in the program and by all classes.
Protected: Accessible within the same package and also by subclasses.
Default (Package): Accessible only within the same package.
Private: Accessible only within the same class.
Step 3: Highest level of protection.
Among all these access levels, private provides the highest level of protection because the members declared as private cannot be accessed outside the class in which they are defined.
This ensures strong encapsulation and data hiding, which are important principles of object-oriented programming.
Step 4: Evaluation of options.
(A) Public: Least restrictive access level.
(B) Packed: Not a valid access modifier.
(C) Protected: Allows access within package and subclasses.
(D) Private: Correct. It provides the highest level of protection.
Step 5: Conclusion.
Thus, the highest level of protection in Java is provided by the private access modifier.
Final Answer: Private