What is the primary purpose of decryption?

The primary purpose of decryption is to retrieve original information from an encrypted format. Encryption is the process of converting readable data, known as plaintext, into a scrambled format, known as ciphertext, to protect it from unauthorized access. Decryption is the reverse process, where the encrypted data is transformed back into its original, readable form, making it accessible to authorized users.

This process is crucial in various applications, such as secure communication, where only intended recipients should be able to access the information. While securing data transmission, encoding data formats, and preventing unauthorized access are important facets of data security, they are not the core function of decryption itself. Decryption specifically focuses on restoring the original content from its secure, encoded state, thereby allowing access to the intended recipient.