What is the role of identity verification in onboarding?

• A. Verify identity before provisioning.
• B. Encrypt data before onboarding.
• C. Enroll the user in a meeting with HR.
• D. Require a password strength test after provisioning.

Answer: (A)

Verifying identity before provisioning is essential because access should be granted only after you’re confident of who the user is. This upfront check ensures the person requesting access actually is who they claim to be, so the appropriate permissions, roles, and resources are assigned to the right individual. It supports enforcing least privilege, enables proper use of MFA, and creates a clear audit trail for compliance. Granting access before identity verification opens the door to impersonation and makes it hard to revoke or adjust rights later. The other safeguards—encrypting data before onboarding, enrolling the user in a meeting with HR, or testing password strength after provisioning—address different security concerns and do not ensure identity is confirmed before access is granted.