What is the purpose of traffic analysis in network security?

Traffic analysis in network security involves monitoring and analyzing data transmissions over a network to identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate potential security threats. The primary goal of this analysis is to detect unauthorized access, abnormal data flows, and potential cyber-attacks by observing the behavior of traffic across the network. This may include identifying unusual spikes in traffic, connections from unexpected locations, or communications with known malicious sources.

By focusing on examining network traffic patterns, security teams can quickly respond to suspicious activities, enhance their defensive measures, and ultimately protect sensitive data and systems. This proactive approach is an essential aspect of maintaining the overall security posture of any organization.

The other options pertain to different aspects of network management and security but do not align directly with the primary aim of traffic analysis. For instance, boosting network speed and managing bandwidth utilization are more focused on improving performance rather than threat detection. Enforcing user access controls relates to authentication and authorization procedures and does not encompass the broader scope of analyzing traffic for security purposes.