What is the purpose of auditing in a network?

The purpose of auditing in a network is fundamentally about tracking and examining the activities of network devices. Auditing serves as a critical tool for network administrators and security professionals to monitor the performance and security of network components. By recording network activities, auditing can help detect unauthorized access, identify potential security breaches, and ensure that policies and compliance requirements are being followed. It provides insight into system usage and helps in maintaining accountability by documenting who accessed what, when, and how changes were made. This data is essential for analyzing trends, troubleshooting issues, and improving overall security measures.

The other options, while related to network security and management, do not accurately capture the primary role of auditing. Encrypting data during transmission focuses on protecting the integrity and confidentiality of data rather than monitoring activities. Authenticating users ensures that those accessing the network are legitimate individuals, which is a separate function from auditing. Establishing user permissions relates to defining what each user can access or modify within the network but does not involve the ongoing monitoring aspect that auditing entails.