Which statement best differentiates authentication, authorization, and accounting?

• A. Authentication verifies identity; Authorization verifies identity; Accounting records user activity.
• B. Authentication records user activity; Authorization determines access rights; Accounting verifies identity.
• C. Authentication verifies identity; Authorization determines access rights; Accounting encrypts data.
• D. Authentication verifies identity; Authorization determines access rights; Accounting records user activity.

Answer: (D)

Authentication, authorization, and accounting are three distinct controls in access management. Authentication confirms who you are; authorization determines what you’re allowed to do; and accounting records what you did. The best statement matches this separation: authentication verifies identity, authorization determines access rights, and accounting records user activity. The other options mix up these roles—such as authentication recording activity, authorization verifying identity, or accounting encrypting data—so they don’t describe the correct divisions. For example, when you log in, your credentials verify who you are (authentication); the system then checks your permissions to access files or perform actions (authorization); and it logs your actions for later review (accounting).