What is the primary purpose of Kerberos in computer networks?

The primary purpose of Kerberos in computer networks is as an authentication system for verifying networked users. Kerberos uses a ticket-based mechanism to provide secure authentication, ensuring that users can identify themselves to network services and that services can verify the identity of users. This is critical in network environments where secure communications and data access are necessary, particularly in enterprise systems where sensitive information is accessed.

Kerberos achieves this by issuing tickets to users, which can then be used to authenticate requests to other services within the network. This process helps protect against eavesdropping and replay attacks, making it a robust solution for secure user authentication. The overall design of Kerberos aims to create a trustworthy environment where both users and services can conduct transactions securely.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of network functionality. While data encryption is important for securing communications, it is not the main focus of Kerberos. Similarly, managing network traffic and deploying applications involve different protocols and services that handle data routing and application lifecycle management, rather than user authentication specifically.