The chief Security Officer (CSO) has reported a rise in data loss but no break ins have occurred. By doing which of the following is the CSO most likely to reduce the number of incidents?

Protected distribution refers to securing physical cabling and transmission lines from interception, which does not address data loss caused by insider behavior or user error.

Adding firewalls addresses external network-based threats, but since no break-ins occurred, the threat vector is internal and firewalls would not prevent data loss from insiders or negligent employees.

Security awareness training addresses the human element, which is the most common cause of data loss when no external intrusions are detected. By educating employees on proper data handling, phishing recognition, and insider threat behaviors, the organization reduces accidental or negligent data leakage. This directly targets the root cause identified in the scenario - internal human actions rather than external attacks.

Perimeter barricades are physical security controls that prevent unauthorized physical access, but they are irrelevant when no physical intrusions have been reported as the source of data loss.