In terms of cybersecurity, what does data encryption primarily protect?

Data encryption primarily protects data from theft during transmission. When data is encrypted, it becomes unreadable to anyone who does not have the appropriate decryption key. This is particularly important in environments where sensitive information is sent over networks, as encryption ensures that even if the data is intercepted by unauthorized individuals, it remains secure and confidential.

By transforming the data into an unreadable format, encryption prevents unauthorized entities from accessing the content of the data while it is in transit. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of information, especially sensitive personal or financial data, as it prevents attackers from capturing this information in a usable form.

In contrast, while encryption can also help indirectly protect against unauthorized modification and limit access, its primary role focuses on safeguarding data from being stolen while it is being transmitted over networks.