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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · The relationship between accounting and other business functions

Meridian plc's finance director wants the IT function to ensure that only authorised accounts staff can post journals, and that each posting can be traced to a specific person afterwards. Which combination of IT controls best achieves both aims?

Individual user IDs with password-protected access rights restrict journal posting to authorised staff, and an audit trail log records who made each posting. Backups, firewalls and encryption protect other risks, and a shared login would destroy traceability because actions could not be linked to one person.

  1. ARegular data backups and an off-site disaster recovery plan
  2. BFirewalls and anti-virus software on all workstations
  3. CIndividual user IDs with password-protected access rights, together with an audit trail logCorrect
  4. DEncryption of data sent to customers and a shared department login

Explanation

Individual IDs with access rights limit who can post journals (authorisation), while an audit trail records who made each entry (traceability). Backups and recovery address data loss, firewalls address external threats, and a shared login would make individual accountability impossible.

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