Question

Difficulty: Very hardPhysical Security Controls

Match each physical security control to the specialized security risk or intrusion vector it is primarily designed to mitigate.

  • Faraday cage enclosureEavesdropping via radio frequency (RF) signal leakage and electromagnetic emanations
  • Access control vestibule with anti-passbackUnauthorized piggybacking/tailgating and credential-sharing re-entry attempts
  • Heavyweight steel bollardsVehicular ramming attacks targeted against building entry points
  • Protected Distribution System (PDS)Covert physical wiretapping or signal interception along unencrypted cable runs

Answer

The Faraday cage enclosure matches RF eavesdropping mitigation; the Access control vestibule with anti-passback matches tailgating and credential-sharing prevention; Heavyweight steel bollards match vehicle ramming attack prevention; and the Protected Distribution System (PDS) matches physical cable wiretapping protection.
Each physical security control addresses a distinct attack vector: Faraday cages protect against RF eavesdropping; access control vestibules with anti-passback eliminate tailgating and badge-sharing; bollards defeat vehicle ramming attacks; and Protected Distribution Systems secure cabling runs against physical wiretapping.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary defensive characteristic of a Faraday cage.
Recognize that continuous conductive shielding blocks electromagnetic induction and radio frequency transmission.
Faraday cages prevent signals from entering or escaping shielded environments, mitigating RF eavesdropping.
2
Evaluate an access control vestibule enforcing anti-passback rules.
Determine that interlocking doors regulate physical movement while anti-passback prevents a single credential from being passed back to admit a secondary individual.
This combination directly stops tailgating/piggybacking and badge reuse.
3
Analyze the structural role of steel bollards.
Understand that bollards serve as reinforced physical barriers situated outside facility entrances.
Their primary function is to prevent vehicles from breaching building perimeters through ramming.
4
Determine the protective scope of a Protected Distribution System (PDS).
Identify that PDS encapsulates telecommunications cabling in secure conduits or alarm-monitored raceways.
PDS prevents unauthorized physical access and wiretapping along vulnerable cable pathways.

Key Concept

Physical Security Controls & Threat Alignment
Rate this question