What is the primary purpose of egress monitoring in network security?

Egress monitoring plays a crucial role in network security by focusing on the observation and analysis of outgoing network traffic. This process helps organizations to detect and prevent potential data breaches or exfiltration of sensitive information from within the network to external sources. By monitoring what data is leaving the network, security teams can identify unusual patterns or activities that may indicate a security incident, such as data theft or unauthorized communications.

This kind of vigilance is essential for maintaining the integrity of sensitive data and ensuring compliance with various regulations regarding data protection. It also helps organizations to identify compromised systems that may be attempting to transmit data without authorization, ensuring that any malicious activities can be curtailed promptly.

While the other options may involve important aspects of a comprehensive security strategy, they do not directly relate to the primary focus of egress monitoring, which distinctly targets the examination of the traffic that exits a network.