Physical security controls

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which is a physical security control?

A A firewall that filters network traffic

B A locked server room that only IT staff can enter

2. What does a swipe-card system do for a server room?

A Limits entry to people with an authorised card and records who entered

B Encrypts the files stored on the servers

3. Why does an organisation install CCTV near its server room?

A To stop malware from reaching the servers

B To deter unauthorised people and provide evidence of who accessed the area

4. A visitor walks into an unlocked server room and unplugs a hard drive. Which control would best have prevented this?

A A locked door with swipe-card access

B A stronger password policy

5. A company throws old laptops in the bin without wiping the drives. What is the risk?

A Someone could recover the stored data from the discarded devices

B The laptops will get a virus from the bin

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1swipe card access		ARecord who enters and leaves a server room, deterring intruders and providing evidence after an incident
2CCTV cameras		BOnly staff with a valid card can open the door, and each entry is recorded against their name
3Keep servers in a locked room so only approved staff can physically touch the hardware		Csecure device disposal
4Wipe or physically destroy old hard drives before throwing them out so stored data cannot be recovered		DData stays on the drive and can be recovered by anyone who finds the laptop. Drives should be securely wiped or destroyed before disposal.
5Servers sit in an open office so staff can reach them easily		EServers in an open area can be reached by anyone, so unauthorised people could steal or tamper with them. They should be in a locked server room with limited access.
6Old laptops are dropped in the bin without wiping the drives		Flocked server room

Definitions

physical security controls

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

IF swipeCardValid ____ unlock(serverRoom)

IF ___ swipeCardValid THEN denyEntry()

WHILE buildingOpen = TRUE cctv.______() ENDWHILE

oldLaptop.____() oldLaptop.dispose()

IF cardValid ___ staffRole = "Admin" THEN unlock(serverRoom) ENDIF

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A IF card IS expired THEN

B unlock server room door

C log card ID and time

D END IF

Question 2

A server_room.door = LOCKED

B server_room.access = EVERYONE

C CCTV.record = ON

Question 3

A camera.location = SERVER_ROOM

B camera.record = ON

C camera.keep_footage = 0 DAYS

Question 4

A old_laptop = RETIRED

B ignore(old_laptop.drive)

C dispose(old_laptop)

Question 5

A FOR EACH room IN server_rooms

B require nothing

C log every entry

Answer Key

Physical security controls

Section A: Quick Questions

B — A locked server room that only IT staff can enter

A — Limits entry to people with an authorised card and records who entered

B — To deter unauthorised people and provide evidence of who accessed the area

A — A locked door with swipe-card access

A — Someone could recover the stored data from the discarded devices

Section B: Match the Pairs

swipe card access → Only staff with a valid card can open the door, and each entry is recorded against their name

CCTV cameras → Record who enters and leaves a server room, deterring intruders and providing evidence after an incident

Keep servers in a locked room so only approved staff can physically touch the hardware → locked server room

Wipe or physically destroy old hard drives before throwing them out so stored data cannot be recovered → secure device disposal

Servers sit in an open office so staff can reach them easily → Servers in an open area can be reached by anyone, so unauthorised people could steal or tamper with them. They should be in a locked server room with limited access.

Old laptops are dropped in the bin without wiping the drives → Data stays on the drive and can be recovered by anyone who finds the laptop. Drives should be securely wiped or destroyed before disposal.

Section C: Definitions

physical security controls — Barriers such as locks, swipe cards, CCTV and secure server rooms that stop unauthorised people reaching hardware and stored data.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

IF swipeCardValid THEN unlock(serverRoom)

IF NOT swipeCardValid THEN denyEntry()

WHILE buildingOpen = TRUE
    cctv.record()
ENDWHILE

oldLaptop.wipe()
oldLaptop.dispose()

IF cardValid AND staffRole = "Admin" THEN
    unlock(serverRoom)
ENDIF

Section E: Spot the Error

A — The swipe-card check should only unlock the door for a valid card. Unlocking for an expired card lets unauthorised people into the server room. It should be IF card IS valid THEN.

B — A secure server room should only be accessible to authorised staff such as IT. Allowing everyone in defeats the physical control. It should be server_room.access = IT_ONLY.

C — CCTV footage must be kept for a period so incidents can be investigated. Keeping it for 0 days means nothing can be reviewed. It should be a value such as 30 DAYS.

B — Device disposal must remove stored data before the hardware leaves the organisation. Ignoring the drive leaves data that others could recover. It should be wipe(old_laptop.drive).

B — Swipe-card access means every entry to the server room needs a card. Requiring nothing removes the control. It should be require swipe_card.