How does encryption mitigate cybersecurity risks?

Encryption plays a crucial role in mitigating cybersecurity risks by safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access, both at rest (when stored) and in transit (when being transmitted over networks). When data is encrypted, it is transformed into a format that is unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys. This means that even if an unauthorized party gains access to the encrypted data, they would not be able to interpret or make use of it without the decryption key.

This mechanism significantly enhances confidentiality and ensures that sensitive information—such as personal data, financial records, or proprietary business information—remains protected against malicious actors. It also provides a layer of security for communications, preventing eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks during data transmission.

In contrast, the other options do not address the fundamental purpose of encryption. Permanently deleting data does not protect it; instead, it removes it entirely. Creating backup copies involves data redundancy rather than security, and although backups can be secured, they are not an inherent function of encryption. Finally, improving system performance is not associated with encryption, as the process can sometimes introduce overhead due to the computational resources required for encryption and decryption processes.