What would be an effective measure against man-in-the-middle attacks on network communications?

End-to-end encryption is an effective measure against man-in-the-middle attacks because it ensures that data transmitted between two parties is encrypted in a way that only they can read it. This means that even if an attacker intercepts the communication, they would only see encrypted data, making it nearly impossible for them to decipher the information. By using encryption protocols such as TLS (Transport Layer Security), the integrity and confidentiality of the communication are maintained, thereby preventing unauthorized access and manipulation of the data during transmission.

Other measures, while important in overall security posture, do not directly address the specific nature of man-in-the-middle attacks. Regular software updates are essential for patching vulnerabilities but do not inherently protect the data while it is in transit. User training is helpful for promoting security awareness and helping users recognize phishing attempts or suspicious activities, but it does not prevent an active attacker from intercepting communications. Lastly, firewall configurations are important for protecting networks from unauthorized access, but they do not provide encryption for data in transit. Therefore, end-to-end encryption stands out as the most direct and effective measure against this particular type of attack.