What is the result of employing Network Address Translation (NAT)?

Employing Network Address Translation (NAT) primarily results in the concealment of internal IP addresses. This technique allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address when communicating with external networks, such as the Internet. By translating the private IP addresses of devices within a local network to a public address, NAT effectively hides the internal IP structure from outside entities. This enhances security by making it more challenging for external users to directly access or identify internal network devices.

While NAT can potentially lead to a natural increase in network efficiency and a unified point of external contact, its main purpose revolves around IP address conservation and obscuring internal network information. This is particularly important in environments where security and privacy are critical, as it prevents external attackers from easily determining the architecture of a private network.

The other options, while they might seem relevant in different contexts, do not accurately describe the primary function of NAT.