What does cryptography primarily focus on?

Cryptography primarily focuses on the art of private communication, which encompasses techniques and methods used to secure the transmission of information. This involves encrypting data to protect its confidentiality, ensuring that only authorized users can access and decipher it. The essence of cryptography lies in safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access during communication processes.

While data integrity, network security, and data storage are important aspects of information security, they fall under broader categories that may utilize cryptographic techniques. For example, data integrity ensures that information has not been altered during transmission, and cryptographic hash functions play a significant role in achieving that goal. Network security often employs encryption to protect data during transit across networks. Data storage can also benefit from cryptographic methods to secure stored information from unauthorized access. However, the primary focus of cryptography is on enabling secure and private communication.