How does encryption help mitigate security threats?

Encryption is a vital security mechanism that plays a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive information. By converting data into a secure and unreadable format, encryption ensures that only authorized parties with the appropriate decryption key can access and understand the data. This fundamentally protects the confidentiality and integrity of the information against unauthorized access or interception, which are common security threats.

When data is encrypted, it becomes meaningless to anyone who attempts to access it without the proper keys. This means that even if an attacker manages to intercept the encrypted data, they will not be able to derive any useful information from it. Encryption is particularly important in contexts such as data transmission over the internet, where threats like eavesdropping and data breaches are prevalent.

Although options such as faster data transfer, increased system performance, and easier software updates may offer benefits in a broader sense, they do not directly relate to the primary security function of encryption. Therefore, the option that accurately captures the essence of how encryption mitigates security threats is the transformation of data into a secure and unreadable format.