What is the primary purpose of biometrics in cybersecurity?

The primary purpose of biometrics in cybersecurity is to verify an individual's identity by analyzing unique physical attributes. This method leverages distinctive characteristics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris patterns, or voice verification to ensure that the person attempting to gain access to a system or sensitive data is indeed who they claim to be. Biometrics offers a higher level of security compared to traditional authentication methods like passwords or PINs, which can often be forgotten, stolen, or easily guessed. By using innate biological traits, biometrics provides a more reliable and user-friendly way to authenticate identities, thereby enhancing overall system security.

In contrast, the other options mention security concepts that do not relate directly to identity verification. Encrypting sensitive data, creating strong passwords, and deploying firewalls all serve important roles in protecting data and networks but do not directly involve the biometric measurement of physical traits to confirm identity.