What does encryption do for data security?

Encryption plays a crucial role in data security by transforming data into a coded format that is unreadable without a specific decryption key or algorithm. This process ensures that even if unauthorized individuals gain access to the encrypted data, they will not be able to interpret or use it without the proper credentials. Thus, encryption protects the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information, making it a fundamental practice for securing data against threats such as interception and unauthorized access.

While backing up data securely, compressing data, and storing data in the cloud are important aspects of data management and security, they do not directly address the transformation of data into a coded format as encryption does.