What administrative control helps reduce the potential for unauthorized actions within an organization?

Separation of Duties is an administrative control designed to minimize the risk of fraud and error by ensuring that no single individual has complete control over a critical process. By dividing responsibilities among multiple people, the organization reduces the likelihood of unauthorized actions or malicious activities, as it requires collusion among employees to bypass controls. This concept is crucial in environments where sensitive information and significant transactions are handled, as it promotes checks and balances within operations.

In contrast, while the audit trail is a valuable tool for recording actions and monitoring system activity, it does not inherently prevent unauthorized actions; it primarily serves as a post-incident analysis tool. An access control list, on the other hand, manages user permissions but does not encompass the broader policy of distributing roles and responsibilities. An incident response plan is critical for managing and responding to security incidents but does not proactively limit the potential for unauthorized actions in everyday operations. Thus, Separation of Duties stands out as a proactive measure that helps ensure the organization's integrity and security.