What does the principle of dual control aim to prevent?

The principle of dual control is primarily designed to prevent fraud or error by ensuring that no single individual has complete control over a critical process or system. This security measure requires that two different individuals must collaborate to complete a specific task or action, which helps to mitigate the risk of malicious actions or mistakes occurring unnoticed. For instance, in a financial context, dual control might require two people to authorize a transaction, thereby reducing the chance that one person could commit fraud or make an inadvertent error without oversight.

In contrast, while dual control may indirectly assist in protecting against unauthorized access and contributing to system reliability, its main focus is on creating checks and balances that specifically guard against improper or erroneous activities. Therefore, fraud or error stands out as the key issue that dual control specifically addresses.