What is the most effective way to provide accountability for identity system usage?

Logging is the most effective way to provide accountability for identity system usage because it creates a detailed record of activities that can be reviewed and analyzed. When an identity system logs events, every action taken by users is recorded along with relevant details such as the time, date, the identity of the user, what actions were performed, and the systems accessed. This creates an auditable trail that can be used for monitoring authorized access, detecting unusual or malicious activities, and proving compliance with regulations.

Effective logging allows organizations to trace back actions to specific users, thus ensuring accountability. If an incident occurs, these logs can be reviewed to determine what went wrong, who was responsible, and how to prevent it in the future. This capability is crucial for incident response and forensic analysis.

The other options, while important for various aspects of identity management, do not directly address the need for accountability in the same way. Authorization addresses the permissions granted to users, digital signatures ensure data integrity and non-repudiation, and Type 1 authentication refers to basic identity verification methods. However, none of these approaches provide the comprehensive tracking and historical context that logging offers, which is essential for establishing accountability.