What does Google Cloud Armor provide to its users?

Google Cloud Armor provides security policies designed to protect applications from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, making it a crucial tool for maintaining the availability and performance of web applications in the cloud. It includes features that enable users to implement robust security measures specifically tailored to mitigate the risk of DDoS threats.

The service not only helps in protecting applications at the edge but also offers customizable security policies that can adapt to the specific needs of different applications. This ensures that legitimate traffic can reach your service while blocking harmful traffic aimed at disrupting service availability.

In contrast, while firewall protection against unauthorized access is a critical aspect of overall cloud security, this function is more closely associated with Google Cloud’s VPC Firewall rules and doesn't specifically encompass the specialized DDoS protections that Google Cloud Armor offers. Similarly, encryption for data at rest is a separate security feature that protects data stored in Google Cloud, and user authentication services are typically handled by different products, such as Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools. Therefore, the focus of Google Cloud Armor on providing security policies primarily aimed at mitigating DDoS attacks distinguishes it as the correct answer in this context.