Final answer:
The primary goal when controlling access to assets is to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems and data to ensure that only authorized individuals can access them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary goal when controlling access to assets is to preserve confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems and data. This involves implementing measures to ensure that only authorized individuals (subjects) can access the assets (objects) for which they have permission. The goal is not just to authenticate the subjects, but to make sure that throughout their interaction with the system, the CIA triad - confidentiality, integrity, and availability - is upheld. This protects sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure, maintains the accuracy and reliability of data and ensures that systems and services are accessible to authorized users as and when required.