Evaluate and select suitable authentication mechanisms is the correct option.

The first concern when opening corporate LAN access to the Internet is who will be allowed to connect and how their identity will be verified. By choosing and testing appropriate authentication mechanisms the retailer ensures that only authorized contractors and remote staff can gain access and that stronger controls such as multifactor authentication and certificate based authentication can be applied before any network access is granted.

Proper selection of authentication mechanisms also supports integration with centralized identity and access management, enforces least privilege, and reduces the risk from stolen or weak credentials. These precautions should be in place before enabling external connectivity so that perimeter controls do not simply expose internal systems to unauthenticated or poorly authenticated users.

Harden perimeter firewall and gateway rules is important but it is not the first evaluation. Firewalls and gateways control traffic flow and must be configured, yet they rely on knowing which users or devices are trusted. Authentication decisions should be defined first so that firewall rules can be aligned with identity and access policies.

Enforce workstation screen lock policies is a good endpoint control but it is a local policy that comes into play after a device is allowed to connect. Screen locking does not prevent unauthorized network access from outside and so it is not the primary control to evaluate before enabling remote connectivity.

Deploy a user activity and account usage reporting system provides valuable monitoring and detection but it is a detective control rather than a preventive control. Reporting should be implemented as part of a layered security strategy, yet it does not substitute for strong authentication which should be chosen first.

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