What does obfuscation refer to in programming?

Obfuscation in programming refers to the deliberate act of creating code that is difficult to understand. This practice is often employed to protect intellectual property, prevent reverse engineering, and enhance security by making it hard for unauthorized users to comprehend the code's logic and functionality. By obscuring the code's intent, developers aim to safeguard sensitive algorithms, proprietary processes, or any other critical information from being easily accessed or misused.

In contrast to the other options, which deal with code performance, user interface design, and optimization for speed, obfuscation is specifically focused on the interpretability of the code itself. The primary goal is not to enhance performance or usability but rather to secure and protect the codebase from potential threats and unauthorized access.