easyMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A security administrator needs to ensure that…
A security administrator needs to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the server room. Which physical control is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse detective controls (cameras, logs) with preventive controls; candidates pick video surveillance because it 'watches' the door, but it does not stop 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
✓
Biometric access control system
A biometric access control system verifies identity based on a unique physical characteristic (fingerprint, retina, iris), which cannot be shared, lost, or guessed like a code or card. This provides the strongest assurance that only specifically enrolled authorized personnel gain entry, satisfying the requirement more directly than any shared-secret or observational control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Mantrap with card reader
Why it's wrong here
A mantrap with card reader controls passage through two interlocking doors, but it does not enforce authorisation based on personnel identity—it only validates card possession. This fails the requirement to ensure only authorised personnel access the server room, as a lost or cloned card grants entry. It is tempting because mantrap systems are correctly used for high-security zones requiring controlled, sequential access, such as data centres where tailgating prevention is the primary threat.
- ✗
Keypad lock with a shared code
Why it's wrong here
A shared code cannot identify which individual entered, so it fails the requirement that only authorised personnel gain access; anyone told the code qualifies. It is tempting because keypads are cheap and easy to retrofit, and would suit a low-security area where restricting casual entry, not attributing individuals, is the goal.
- ✓
Biometric access control system
Why this is correct
Biometrics verify a unique physical characteristic of the individual, so access cannot be transferred via a shared badge or borrowed key. This satisfies the requirement that only authorised personnel enter, providing stronger assurance than locks, guards or keypads alone.
- ✗
Video surveillance cameras
Why it's wrong here
Cameras record events for later review but do not gate entry, so unauthorised personnel can still walk in and only be identified afterwards. They are tempting because surveillance deters and supports investigations, and would be the right choice where monitoring or audit of an area is required rather than enforcement of who may pass.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Physical Access Controls
Key term
Least privilege
Least privilege is a security principle that means giving users, systems, or programs only the minimum permissions they need to do their job and nothing more.
Key term
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.