How does encryption assist organizations in meeting GDPR requirements?

Encryption plays a crucial role in helping organizations comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by safeguarding personal data and ensuring its confidentiality. GDPR emphasizes the protection of personal information, and organizations are required to take appropriate measures to secure this data against unauthorized access and breaches.

By implementing encryption, organizations can render personal data unreadable to unauthorized individuals. This means that even if a data breach occurs and sensitive information is accessed, it would be encrypted and thus nearly useless to the attackers without the proper decryption keys. This not only helps in protecting individuals' privacy but also demonstrates that the organization has taken proactive steps to secure personal data, thereby supporting compliance with GDPR principles.

While other choices address various aspects of data management and security, they do not specifically highlight the primary benefit of encryption in the context of GDPR, which is the protection of personal data. For instance, making data storage cheaper or simplifying user access may be secondary benefits, but they do not directly contribute to meeting GDPR's stringent requirements regarding data confidentiality and integrity. Similarly, encrypting data only during transmission does not provide comprehensive protection for data at rest, which is also a critical aspect of GDPR compliance.