What does physical security protect?

Physical security is focused on safeguarding facilities, infrastructure, and physical assets from unauthorized access, damage, or threats. This includes protecting buildings, equipment, and the personnel within those environments from various risks such as vandalism, theft, and natural disasters.

When implemented effectively, physical security measures help ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive areas and that potential threats are mitigated before they can inflict harm. This encompasses both preventing physical breaches, like forced entry, and ensuring that there are responses in place should a threat develop.

In contrast, other options focus more narrowly on specific assets or types of threat. For instance, protecting classified documents or intellectual property is certainly important, but it represents just one aspect of the broader scope of physical security. Similarly, while safeguarding digital data from cyber attacks is crucial for overall security strategy, it pertains more to cybersecurity rather than the physical security intended to protect tangible assets and spaces. Thus, the comprehensive nature of physical security is best encapsulated by the need to defend facilities and infrastructure against unauthorized access and other threats.