What is the main purpose of implementing access controls in a network?

Implementing access controls in a network primarily serves to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. Access controls help regulate who can view or use resources in a computing environment, thereby preventing unauthorized users from accessing sensitive information. By restricting access to only those individuals or systems that require it for their roles, access controls significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and maintain the integrity of the data by ensuring that it is not altered or deleted by unauthorized users.

This measure plays a crucial role in fortifying the security framework of an organization. While the other options may touch on relevant aspects of network performance or security, they do not represent the core intent of access controls. Speeding up data processing times is more related to system optimization, maintaining network hardware focuses on physical infrastructure, and eliminating the need for encryption misunderstands the complementary roles of access controls and encryption in securing sensitive data. Access controls and encryption typically work together to provide a comprehensive security posture.