Which of the following is a strategy to improve data confidentiality?

Data encryption is a key strategy to improve data confidentiality because it transforms sensitive information into a format that is unreadable to unauthorized users. By applying encryption algorithms, even if data is intercepted or accessed by someone without permission, it remains protected because it cannot be deciphered without the corresponding decryption key. This ensures that confidential information, such as patient records or financial data, is only accessible to individuals who have the proper authorization, thereby maintaining confidentiality.

While regular software updates, firewalls, and conducting audits are all important aspects of a comprehensive data security strategy, they focus more on overall security and risk management rather than specifically enhancing confidentiality. Regular software updates help patch vulnerabilities and improve system defenses, firewalls act to control incoming and outgoing network traffic, and audits assess and ensure compliance with security policies. However, none of these measures inherently protect the content of the data itself as effectively as encryption does.