Final answer:
Analyzing activity logs in information security is critical for detecting threats and protecting data. Research shows that the accuracy of such analysis can decline under high cognitive load, leading to costly errors. Effective log analysis could prevent incidents like the 2013 Target data breach.
Step-by-step explanation:
An important security function is to analyse activity logs for signs of unauthorized access, potential threats, and irregular patterns that might indicate a security breach. In the field of information security, such analysis is crucial for maintaining the integrity of systems and protecting sensitive data. For example, in human factors psychology research, Bruno & Abrahão (2012) investigated the decision-making accuracy of operators at a banking institution's information security center. The research showed that an increased cognitive load led to more mistakes in falsely identifying incidents, highlighting the importance of effective log analysis. Additionally, the case of the Target data breach in 2013 underscores the ramifications of not interpreting signals correctly, which allowed the breach to continue for weeks. Adequate analysis of activity logs might have prevented this by highlighting the intrusion sooner.