What does encryption achieve?

Encryption serves the crucial purpose of securing data by transforming it into a format that is unreadable to anyone who does not possess the appropriate decryption key. This process effectively prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information, ensuring that only those who are authorized can interpret and use the data. By encoding information, encryption safeguards against eavesdropping, data breaches, and other forms of cyber threats, making it a cornerstone of data security practices.

In contrast to this principle, the other options do not align with the primary function of encryption. Speeding up data transmission is actually related to network efficiency rather than security. Although simplified data storage could be a secondary benefit in certain contexts, it is not a direct feature of encryption. Similarly, while software development involves many aspects of security, encryption itself does not specifically facilitate software development processes.