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A primary function of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) is to inspect and filter HTTP conversations for attacks. WAFs are specifically designed to protect web applications by monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing HTTP traffic. They analyze the data being transmitted to detect and block potential threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other web application vulnerabilities.

By focusing on the HTTP layer, WAFs can understand the context of web traffic and apply specific security rules tailored to the application, ensuring that malicious requests are blocked before they reach the web server. This capability is essential for safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining the integrity of web applications.

The other options relate to different functions that do not align directly with the core purpose of a WAF. For instance, encrypting data in motion pertains more to VPNs or TLS encryption, while user authentication management is typically handled by identity and access management systems. Monitoring bandwidth usage is a network management function rather than a security-focused task. Therefore, the primary role of a WAF is indeed the inspection and filtering of HTTP conversations to provide an essential layer of protection against various web-based attacks.