What must compensating controls do according to industry standards?

Compensating controls are alternative measures put in place to achieve the objectives of a primary control that may be difficult to implement or fully comply with. According to industry standards, these controls are expected to meet the intent and rigor of the original control. This means that while they provide a different means to address the security goals, they must still ensure that the overall level of security is maintained or even enhanced compared to what the original control would have offered.

This requirement emphasizes the importance of maintaining a consistent security posture. For instance, if an organization cannot implement a specific technical control due to constraints, the compensating controls must still sufficiently reduce the risk to an acceptable level, thereby fulfilling the original intent. This ensures that there are no significant gaps in security, and that the organization remains compliant with applicable regulations or frameworks, such as PCI DSS.

The other choices suggest a lowering of standards or a lack of ongoing assessment for the controls, which would not be acceptable within any robust security framework. They imply a diminishment of security effectiveness, which is contrary to the purpose of compensating controls. Maintaining rigorous standards helps ensure that organizations adequately protect sensitive data and resources.