A compliance audit is conducted to ensure that an organization is following the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to its operations. This type of audit is essential for organizations handling sensitive data, as it helps confirm their adherence to the relevant laws and reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties. A financial audit focuses on the correctness of financial records and has little to do with security practices. An operational audit examines the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, which doesn't directly assess conformity with legal guidelines. Lastly, while a security audit evaluates the effectiveness of security controls, it is not exclusively focused on legal compliance, making it less specific than a compliance audit for this purpose.