What is the purpose of segregation/separation of duties (SoD) in security?

The purpose of segregation or separation of duties (SoD) in security is fundamentally about distributing responsibilities among multiple individuals to prevent fraud, minimize errors, and enhance accountability within an organization. By assigning different tasks related to a business process to different individuals, one can ensure that no single person has control over all aspects of that process. This reduces the risk that someone could exploit their position for unauthorized activities or overlook mistakes without any checks in place.

For example, in financial systems, one person might be responsible for authorizing payments, while another person handles the actual payment processing. This division helps in detecting errors or fraudulent activities because it requires collusion among multiple parties to bypass controls.

The other options focus on different aspects of security. Limiting access to the Internet addresses concerns about external threats, whereas restricting physical access to data centers deals with protecting the physical environment of sensitive systems. Managing user account permissions relates to ensuring that individuals only possess the access necessary for their job roles. While all these aspects are important for a comprehensive security strategy, they do not specifically encapsulate the core intention of segregation of duties, which is primarily about oversight and accountability within processes.