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220-1202 Practice Question: A small business wants to prevent unauthorized…
A small business wants to prevent unauthorized individuals from following employees through a secure entrance after badge access is granted. Which physical security control is specifically designed to address this threat?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse authentication controls (biometrics, card readers) with access control mechanisms that prevent tailgating, failing to recognize that authentication alone does not enforce single-person entry.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy a mantrap
A mantrap is a physical security control consisting of two interlocking doors with a small vestibule between them. It prevents tailgating by allowing only one person to enter at a time; the first door must close and lock before the second door can open, ensuring that only the authenticated individual passes through.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Install a biometric fingerprint scanner
Why it's wrong here
A biometric fingerprint scanner authenticates an individual's identity by comparing their unique fingerprint pattern against a stored template, granting access upon successful verification. However, once the door is unlocked for the authenticated person, this system provides no inherent mechanism to prevent unauthorized individuals from following closely behind (tailgating or piggybacking) before the door re-secures. This control focuses solely on identity verification, not on physical access flow control for multiple individuals.
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Use a proximity card reader
Why it's wrong here
A proximity card reader grants access by authenticating a credential presented by an individual, offering a convenient method for access control. While effective for verifying the cardholder's identity, it does not inherently prevent tailgating or piggybacking. An unauthorized person can easily follow an authorized individual through the door before it closes and locks, especially if the door is held open or if the authorized person is not vigilant, thus compromising the access point.
- ✓
Deploy a mantrap
Why this is correct
A mantrap, also known as an access control vestibule, consists of two interlocking doors where only one door can be open at a time. An individual enters the first door, which then closes and locks behind them, creating a secure chamber for authentication. Their identity is verified within this chamber, and only then does the second door open, allowing them to proceed. This physical isolation mechanism effectively prevents tailgating or piggybacking by ensuring only one person can pass through the controlled area per authentication cycle.
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Add a security guard
Why it's wrong here
While a security guard can monitor access points, challenge unauthorized individuals, and enforce access policies, their effectiveness is dependent on human vigilance and continuous presence. A guard is a reactive and administrative control that can be distracted, overwhelmed, or absent, making them less reliable than a dedicated physical security mechanism for consistently preventing tailgating. They do not provide the same consistent, automated, and physical isolation that a mantrap offers to ensure one-person-at-a-time entry.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.