Final answer:
To safeguard sensitive information over a network, operating systems use encryption to convert data into a secure code, which can only be accessed with the correct decryption key.
Step-by-step explanation:
To protect sensitive data and information further as it travels over a network, the operating system may encrypt it. Encryption is the process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. When data is encrypted, it is transformed using an algorithm and a key into ciphertext that can only be made readable again with the correct key.