Which of the following threats occurs due to the loss of relevant encryption keys?

The correct answer, regarding the loss of relevant encryption keys, is associated with data loss. When encryption keys are lost, any data that is encrypted and relies on those keys becomes inaccessible. This phenomenon is particularly critical in environments that rely on encryption to protect sensitive information, such as financial data, personal identification, or proprietary business information.

Encryption is designed to safeguard data from unauthorized access, but if the keys to decrypt that data are lost, legitimate users can no longer retrieve or use the data. This leads to a situation where the data effectively becomes irretrievable, highlighting the importance of key management practices in cloud security. Effective key management strategies are essential for ensuring that encryption keys are stored securely and can be recovered when needed.

This scenario demonstrates why the management of encryption keys is a critical aspect of protecting data integrity and availability in any security framework. Failure to manage keys appropriately can result in significant business impacts, as valuable data may be permanently lost, creating operational challenges and potential compliance issues.