How do audit logs support continuous monitoring?

Audit logs play a crucial role in continuous monitoring by recording all user activities and unauthorized attempts. This comprehensive documentation allows organizations to track interactions with their systems, ensuring that any actions taken by users can be reviewed and analyzed. By maintaining detailed records of who accessed what information and when, organizations can identify anomalies, such as unauthorized logins or actions that deviate from normal user behavior. This real-time visibility into user activities helps in detecting potential insider threats or security incidents early on, enabling proactive responses to mitigate risks.

The other options do not directly encompass the core function of audit logs in the context of continuous monitoring. Archiving data may lead to data preservation but does not inherently involve real-time monitoring. Storing sensitive information securely is crucial for data protection but does not relate to tracking activities or responses to incidents. Analyzing user behavior trends is an important aspect of security but typically relies on data collected from audit logs rather than being a function performed by them directly. Therefore, the accurate depiction of the role of audit logs in continuous monitoring is best captured by their ability to record user activities and unauthorized attempts.