Effective Control to Mitigate Unintentional Misuse of Authorized Access

C.

The MOST effective control to mitigate unintentional misuse of authorized access is security awareness training (Option C).

Explanation:

Regular monitoring of user access logs (Option A) is a control used to detect and investigate unauthorized access or suspicious activities. It can help in identifying intentional misuse but may not be effective in mitigating unintentional misuse of authorized access. User access logs will not provide information on whether the user intended to misuse their authorized access or whether it was a mistake or error.

Annual sign-off of acceptable use policy (Option B) is a control to ensure that employees are aware of the organization's policies and their responsibilities related to authorized access. However, it is not an effective control on its own as it only verifies that employees have read and understood the policy but does not necessarily ensure compliance with it. Moreover, an annual sign-off is not enough to keep employees up-to-date with the latest security threats and best practices.

Formalized disciplinary action (Option D) is a control to deter intentional misuse of authorized access. However, it is not an effective control to mitigate unintentional misuse of authorized access as employees may not be aware that their actions are violating security policies or causing harm to the organization. Furthermore, the focus should be on preventing security incidents rather than just punishing employees after the fact.

On the other hand, security awareness training (Option C) can help employees understand their role in protecting sensitive information and preventing security incidents. It can also provide them with the knowledge and skills to recognize and report suspicious activities, avoid common security threats, and use authorized access appropriately. By providing employees with ongoing security awareness training, organizations can reduce the risk of unintentional misuse of authorized access and create a culture of security awareness.