CISSP Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep Guide

Physical controls in security focus on safeguarding physical assets and ensuring the protection of the environment where sensitive information or operations are conducted. This includes measures that restrict access to facilities and departments, such as locks, security guards, badges, and access control systems. The purpose of these controls is to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining entry and to protect both the physical assets and the data housed within those environments.

While options related to data encryption, environmental monitoring, and software security measures are important aspects of an overall security strategy, they do not fall under the category of physical controls. Data encryption and decryption are technical safeguards that protect data's confidentiality and integrity but do not involve physical access. Environmental monitoring addresses issues such as temperature and humidity control but is more closely associated with operational controls rather than physical security per se. Personnel training, while essential, also pertains to administrative control rather than the tangible aspect of securing physical environments. Thus, controlling access to facilities is the key aspect that aligns with the definition of physical controls in security.