What is a good compensating control for a developer with full access to production data?

The rationale behind choosing separate developer login IDs for programming as a compensating control for a developer with full access to production data lies in the principle of least privilege and segregation of duties. By assigning distinct login credentials for developers, you effectively limit their access to only the necessary environments while minimizing risks associated with unauthorized changes to sensitive production data.

The provision of separate login IDs restricts developers' capabilities in the production environment, ensuring that access is governed by roles and responsibilities. This not only helps in maintaining a clearer boundary between development and production operations but also aids in accountability. If a specific developer were to make a change that results in an issue, it is easier to identify and trace back to that individual's actions.

While enabling detailed audit trails of activities, backing up records before changes, and ensuring changes are approved by a change manager are also valuable controls, they primarily serve as after-the-fact measures or additional safeguards rather than directly addressing the foundational access control that separate login IDs provide. Thus, utilizing distinct logins is a proactive measure that effectively reduces the risk of improper access and strengthens the overall security posture regarding production data.