What is physical security in information security, and which is an example of a physical security control?

• A. Protecting facilities and equipment; example: badge access, surveillance, and secure doors.
• B. Protecting software code with encryption only.
• C. Only protecting data in transit.
• D. Isolating networks from the internet.

Answer: (A)

Physical security in information security means protecting the tangible environment, hardware, and people that handle data from threats like theft, tampering, or natural disasters. An example of a physical security control is implementing badge access, surveillance cameras, and secure doors. These measures limit who can enter sensitive areas, monitor activity, and prevent unauthorized access to devices and storage, helping to keep information safe even if digital defenses are bypassed by someone who can reach the equipment. Without physical protections, skilled attackers could directly steal or tamper with hardware or pull the data from a server, undermining other security layers. The other options focus on safeguarding software, data in transit, or network structure, which address non-physical aspects and are not examples of physical security controls.