This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security architecture and engineering. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are examples of physical security controls?
Firewall rules
Why wrong: Firewall rules are technical controls.
Biometric door locks
Physical access control mechanism.
Security awareness training
Why wrong: Training is an administrative control.
CCTV surveillance cameras
Physical monitoring and detection control.
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Why wrong: IDS is a technical control for network monitoring.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Biometric door locks
Biometric door locks are physical security controls because they restrict physical access to a facility or room by verifying a unique biological trait (e.g., fingerprint, iris pattern). This falls under the domain of physical access control, which is a core component of physical security, not logical or administrative controls.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules are technical controls.
Biometric door locks
Why this is correct
Physical access control mechanism.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Security awareness training
Why it's wrong here
Training is an administrative control.
CCTV surveillance cameras
Why this is correct
Physical monitoring and detection control.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Why it's wrong here
IDS is a technical control for network monitoring.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse logical/technical controls (like IDS or firewall rules) with physical controls, because they both involve 'security' and 'detection,' but physical controls always involve tangible barriers or devices that protect assets in the physical world.
Detailed technical explanation
Biometric door locks use sensors (e.g., capacitive fingerprint scanners, infrared iris cameras) to capture a live sample, which is then compared against a stored template using algorithms like minutiae matching or eigenface analysis. False acceptance rate (FAR) and false rejection rate (FRR) are critical metrics; for high-security environments, a lower FAR is prioritized, often at the cost of higher FRR. In a real-world scenario, a biometric lock can be bypassed if the template database is compromised or if a replay attack using a recorded biometric is successful, though liveness detection mitigates this.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Architecture and Engineering — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Security Architecture and Engineering practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CISSP questions
529 questions across all exam domains
Certified Information Systems Security Professional CISSP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CISSP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Software Development Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Assessment and Testing.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security and Risk Management.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Architecture and Engineering.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Communication and Network Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Asset Security.
Practise CISSP questions linked to Security Operations.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP fundamentals.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP scenario.
Practise CISSP questions linked to CISSP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Security Architecture and Engineering — This question tests Security Architecture and Engineering — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Biometric door locks — Biometric door locks are physical security controls because they restrict physical access to a facility or room by verifying a unique biological trait (e.g., fingerprint, iris pattern). This falls under the domain of physical access control, which is a core component of physical security, not logical or administrative controls.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.