Which of the following is managed by the operating system (OS)?

The role of the operating system (OS) encompasses managing a range of system resources and activities, including keyboard input. The OS provides an interface between the user and the hardware, facilitating input from devices like keyboards. It interprets the signals received from the keyboard, processes that input, and communicates the corresponding action to other software applications.

Keyboard input management is critical for responsive user interaction, allowing the OS to handle tasks such as capturing keystrokes, managing keyboard shortcuts, and ensuring that input is correctly passed to the active programs. This direct interaction is a fundamental responsibility of the OS, ensuring both efficiency and user experience on the system.

In contrast, the other activities listed involve responsibilities that may completely or partially fall outside of direct OS management. For instance, file encryption can be facilitated by the OS, but it is typically managed by specific applications or encryption software developed for that purpose. Network traffic management often requires specialized software and configurations that can extend beyond what the OS does alone, often requiring network interfaces and protocols to effectively manage. Data backup, while sometimes initiated by the OS, usually involves external applications or services that provide more comprehensive solutions for backup and recovery tasks.