Which statement best describes explicit approval in usage policies?

• A. The policies must include explicit approval processes from authorized parties
• B. The policies must exclude explicit approval
• C. The policies must include approval only for portable devices
• D. The policies require approval only for external partners

Answer: (A)

Explicit approval in usage policies ensures that any action with potential risk has a formal, documented authorization from someone with the authority to grant it. This creates accountability, traceability, and consistent controls across the organization. The best statement reflects this by requiring explicit approval processes from authorized parties, meaning the policy specifies who can approve, what steps constitute approval, and how approvals are obtained before use. Without such a process, approvals can be informal or omitted, increasing the risk of unapproved access or configurations. The alternatives are too narrow or inconsistent with comprehensive governance: excluding explicit approval weakens control; limiting approval to portable devices or external partners misses other critical areas that also require authorization.