Which statement about network address translation (NAT) is correct?

Network address translation (NAT) serves primarily to manage the way internal IP addresses are accessed externally. By mapping multiple internal addresses to a single external address, NAT allows devices within a private network to communicate with external networks, such as the Internet, while maintaining their own unique internal IP addresses. This mapping is crucial as it helps conserve the limited number of available public IP addresses.

The functionality of NAT enhances security indirectly by hiding the internal IP addresses from external networks, but it does not directly prevent unauthorized access. Rather, it acts as a barrier that keeps internal network structure obscured. NAT does not facilitate direct connections between multiple networks nor does it provide encryption for data during transmission, which are features associated with different technologies or protocols. Thus, the assertion that NAT maps multiple internal addresses to a single external address accurately reflects its primary role in network management.