An audit has revealed that database administrators are also responsible for auditing database changes and backup logs. Which of the following access control methodologies would BEST mitigate this…

Time of day restrictions limit when users can access systems but do not address the conflict of interest created when the same person performs and audits the same tasks.

Principle of least privilege ensures users only have the minimum access needed for their role, but it does not inherently prevent a single role from being assigned both operational and oversight responsibilities.

Role-based access control (RBAC) assigns permissions based on job roles, but without enforcing SoD, a single role can still be granted both administrative and auditing privileges, leaving the conflict unresolved.

Separation of Duties (SoD) is an access control principle that divides critical tasks among multiple individuals so no single person can perform and audit their own actions. By assigning database administration and audit/log review responsibilities to different roles or personnel, organizations prevent self-auditing and reduce the risk of fraud or undetected errors. This directly mitigates the concern of DBAs being able to cover up unauthorized changes by also controlling the audit trail.