What is the main purpose of encryption in transit within Azure?

The main purpose of encryption in transit within Azure is to secure data as it travels over networks. This process ensures that sensitive information is protected from unauthorized access during transmission, which is crucial in safeguarding data integrity and confidentiality. When data is encrypted in transit, it becomes unreadable to anyone who might intercept it on the network, providing a layer of security against various threats, such as eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Encryption in transit typically employs protocols like TLS (Transport Layer Security), which encrypts the data packets being transmitted. This way, even if an attacker were to intercept the data, they would only see ciphertext and not the actual sensitive information. This capability is essential for maintaining compliance with various security standards and regulations, which often require protection of data not only at rest but also during transmission.

The other options, while related to data handling and management, do not directly address the security aspect of encrypted communication. Compression, enhancement of network speed, and simplification of data management are not the primary functions or benefits of encryption in transit.