What technology operates independently of the DBMS to audit database activity?

Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) is the correct answer because it is a specialized technology designed to operate independently of the database management system (DBMS). DAM continuously analyzes and logs database activity, enabling organizations to monitor for unauthorized access, changes, or unusually high levels of database requests. This allows businesses to maintain compliance with various regulatory requirements and detect potential security breaches in real-time.

In contrast, denial of service is a type of attack targeting system availability, and it does not provide auditing capabilities. Data mining involves analyzing vast amounts of data to discover patterns and insights but does not specifically focus on monitoring database activity or security. Database as a Service (DBaaS) is a cloud service that provides database management and hosting but does not inherently include features for auditing database activity. Thus, DAM’s independent functionality and specific purpose in security auditing make it the correct choice.