How does a CDN help improve security in a cloud environment?

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) significantly enhances security in a cloud environment primarily through its ability to provide Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection. This cybersecurity feature is crucial because it mitigates the risk of overwhelming a server with a flood of malicious traffic. When a CDN is used, traffic is distributed across multiple servers located in different geographical regions. This distribution helps absorb and deflect a DDoS attack before it reaches the origin server, thereby maintaining service availability and reducing the impact on the website or application.

In contrast to the other options, the focus on DDoS protection is vital in today’s online landscape, where such attacks can cause severe service disruptions and economic losses. While improving redundancy does contribute to reliability, it does not directly address the specific threat posed by DDoS attacks. Similarly, increasing vertical scalability or adding memory to a server might enhance performance but does not inherently bolster the system's defenses against cyber threats. Thus, the protective capabilities provided by a CDN against these types of attacks make it a critical component of cybersecurity architecture in a cloud environment.