CISSP Security Architecture and Engineering Practice Question
A security architect is designing a physical security perimeter for a data center. Which of the following is an example of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
CISSP often tests the distinction between CPTED principles (design-based, passive) and physical security controls (active, hardware-based), so candidates must recognize that clear sightlines are a design feature, not a device.
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
✓
Designing the landscape to provide clear sightlines from the guard post
CPTED focuses on designing the physical environment to reduce crime and fear of crime by influencing human behavior. Clear sightlines from a guard post are a classic CPTED principle—natural surveillance—which allows guards to observe the area without obstruction, deterring potential intruders. This is a design-based approach, not just adding security hardware.
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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Using high fences with barbed wire around the facility
Why it's wrong here
While high fences with barbed wire serve as robust physical barriers to deter and delay unauthorized entry, they primarily represent traditional physical security measures rather than a core principle of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED focuses on manipulating the built environment to influence human behavior, promoting natural surveillance, territoriality, and access control through design elements. Fences, though effective, do not inherently leverage environmental design to create a perception of risk or ownership in the same way CPTED principles do.
- ✓
Designing the landscape to provide clear sightlines from the guard post
Why this is correct
Designing the landscape to provide clear sightlines from a guard post directly implements the CPTED principle of natural surveillance. By eliminating potential hiding spots and ensuring unobstructed views, this design choice increases the perceived risk for potential offenders, as they believe their actions are more likely to be observed. This proactive environmental design deters criminal activity by making illicit behavior more difficult to conceal, thereby enhancing overall security through visibility.
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Deploying motion sensors and CCTV cameras
Why it's wrong here
Deploying motion sensors and CCTV cameras constitutes the implementation of electronic security systems, which are technical controls designed for detection and monitoring. While these technologies are crucial components of a comprehensive security program, they are distinct from CPTED principles, which focus on altering the physical environment's design to prevent crime. CPTED emphasizes proactive design elements that influence behavior, whereas sensors and cameras are reactive or deterrent tools that do not fundamentally change the environmental layout.
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Installing biometric locks on all server room doors
Why it's wrong here
Installing biometric locks on server room doors is a robust form of logical and physical access control, designed to restrict entry to authorized personnel based on unique biological characteristics. However, this measure falls under the category of technical access control mechanisms rather than Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). CPTED focuses on manipulating the physical layout and design of spaces to deter crime by influencing human behavior and perceptions, not on specific hardware-based authentication methods for entry.
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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 CISSP 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 CISSP exam.