What does 'encryption' do for data security?

Encryption plays a crucial role in data security by converting data into a coded format that is unreadable to unauthorized users. This process ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed without permission, it remains secure because it cannot be understood without the appropriate decryption key or password.

This form of protection is essential for maintaining privacy and confidentiality, especially when sensitive or personal information is involved. It facilitates secure communication over insecure channels like the internet, making it a fundamental practice in securing data.

The other options, while related to data management in various capacities, do not serve the primary purpose of encryption. Deleting sensitive information eliminates it entirely, compressing data is about reducing its size without encoding, and backing up data focuses on creating copies for recovery rather than protecting the original data from being understood by unauthorized users.