Tracking and monitoring access to network resources helps ensure the security of what?

• A. Cardholder data and network resources
• B. Printer toner levels
• C. Employee performance
• D. Marketing data

Answer: (A)

Tracking and monitoring who accesses network resources is all about creating accountability and spotting unauthorized activity. When you log access to systems that handle sensitive data—like databases with cardholder information, file shares, and critical infrastructure—you establish an audit trail that shows who did what, when, and from where. This visibility helps enforce access policies, detect unusual or risky behavior, and enable quick incident response. Because cardholder data and the network resources that store or transmit it are among the most sensitive assets, monitoring access directly strengthens their security by protecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Other assets mentioned, like printer toner levels or general marketing data, aren’t the focus of access monitoring for safeguarding critical security controls in the same way.