Tracking authorized use of a resource or alerting when unauthorized use is detected or attempted is known as?

Tracking authorized use of a resource or alerting when unauthorized use is detected or attempted is known as?

• A. Authentication
• B. Accounting
• C. Identification
• D. Authorization

Answer: (B)

This question tests the function responsible for recording and monitoring how resources are used and for flagging unauthorized access attempts. Tracking authorized use and alerting on unauthorized attempts is accounting (auditing). It creates an audit trail of who did what, when, and for how long, which supports accountability, incident response, and compliance. In the classic AAA framework, authentication proves identity, authorization determines what actions are allowed, and accounting logs the activity. So accounting is the correct concept here. The other terms describe different steps: authentication is about proving who you are, identification is the process of establishing identity, and authorization controls what you are permitted to do after identity is established; none of these primarily cover tracking usage or alerting on unauthorized attempts.

This question tests the function responsible for recording and monitoring how resources are used and for flagging unauthorized access attempts. Tracking authorized use and alerting on unauthorized attempts is accounting (auditing). It creates an audit trail of who did what, when, and for how long, which supports accountability, incident response, and compliance. In the classic AAA framework, authentication proves identity, authorization determines what actions are allowed, and accounting logs the activity. So accounting is the correct concept here. The other terms describe different steps: authentication is about proving who you are, identification is the process of establishing identity, and authorization controls what you are permitted to do after identity is established; none of these primarily cover tracking usage or alerting on unauthorized attempts.