What is the main purpose of encryption in the context of PKI?

The main purpose of encryption in the context of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is to protect data confidentiality and integrity. Encryption transforms legible data into an unreadable format, ensuring that only authorized users with the appropriate decryption keys can access the original information. This is essential in safeguarding sensitive communications and data exchanges, as it prevents unauthorized individuals from intercepting and comprehending the information.

Additionally, encryption helps ensure data integrity by allowing recipients to verify that the data has not been altered during transmission. This dual function of securing both the confidentiality and the integrity of data is critical in maintaining trust in electronic communications, especially in military and governmental applications where the protection of information is paramount.

The other options do not align with the primary functions of encryption in PKI. Enhancing network speed does not relate to the purpose of encryption, as encryption can actually add processing overhead. Generating random passwords is a different aspect of security measures and does not involve the encryption process itself. Lastly, while file sharing may be facilitated by secure methods, encryption serves a broader purpose of protecting the data shared rather than simply facilitating the act of sharing itself.