What is the primary function of cryptography?

The primary function of cryptography is fundamentally rooted in the concept of protecting information through encoding it in a manner that only authorized parties can access or understand. This involves the creation of codes and ciphers to secure messages and data from unauthorized access. By transforming readable data into an obscured format, cryptography ensures confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity, playing a crucial role in various applications such as secure communications, financial transactions, and safeguarding personal information. Thus, the act of writing and solving codes effectively encapsulates this core purpose of cryptography, making it the correct choice.