Which role combination represents the biggest risk regarding system access?

The combination of system administrators also acting as application programmers represents the biggest risk regarding system access due to the significant overlap in their responsibilities and the potential for abuse of privileges. System administrators typically have broad access to the underlying systems, including the ability to configure security settings, manage user accounts, and implement system-wide changes. When these individuals also engage in application programming, they possess the technical knowledge and authority to create, modify, or bypass security mechanisms within the applications they develop.

This dual role can lead to several vulnerabilities, such as inadequate separation of duties, which is a fundamental principle in information security. Without proper checks and balances, a single individual could exploit their access to introduce malicious code, create backdoors, or manipulate data without detection. Furthermore, combining these roles can lead to a lack of accountability, making it difficult to trace actions back to a specific user, thus increasing the risk of unauthorized access or modifications to sensitive systems.

In contrast, the other role combinations do not present the same level of systemic risk. Network administrators handling quality assurance, end users managing security applications, and systems analysts performing database administration do not typically have the same degree of direct control over both infrastructure and applications, thereby limiting their ability to exploit vulnerabilities in ways that could severely compromise system integrity