What does encryption primarily provide in cloud security?

Encryption primarily provides data confidentiality in cloud security. By using cryptographic methods to encode information, encryption ensures that only authorized users with the correct decryption key can access the data. This means that even if sensitive data is intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties, they will be unable to understand or utilize that data without the decryption key.

Data confidentiality is crucial in cloud environments where data is often stored and processed off-site. Organizations need to protect sensitive information, such as personal data, financial information, or intellectual property, from unauthorized access or breaches.

While data integrity, access control, and system availability are also important aspects of cloud security, they serve different purposes. Data integrity ensures that the data remains accurate and unaltered, access control manages who can access data and systems, and system availability ensures that the systems are operational and accessible when needed. In contrast, encryption is specifically focused on keeping data private and ensuring that only authorized entities can read the information being stored or transmitted.