Which CIA security goal is most directly supported when a file is encrypted so only authorized key holders can read it?

### Why this is right Encryption protects confidentiality by making information unreadable to people who do not have the appropriate decryption key. The question is about preventing unauthorized access to content, not ensuring service uptime or proving who created it. ### The concept The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) triad is a framework of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality concerns who can read information. Integrity concerns whether information has been changed improperly. Availability concerns whether data and systems can be accessed when needed. Encryption is especially direct support for confidentiality, but it does not alone guarantee the other goals. ### The other options - **B. Availability**: Availability is access when needed; encryption alone does not guarantee that a service remains accessible. - **C. Authenticity**: Authenticity concerns whether a source or message is genuine; a signature can help support it. - **D. Interruption**: Interruption is a type of availability attack, not one of the CIA goals. ### Terms - **CIA**: Central Intelligence Agency triad, here referring to confidentiality, integrity, and availability as security goals. - **Decryption key**: The key used to recover readable data from ciphertext. - **Authenticity**: Confidence that information comes from the claimed source. ### Remember Encryption most directly protects confidentiality by restricting who can read data.