Physical Security and Facility Safety
Layers and controls
Physical security is built in layers - perimeter, building envelope, interior, and asset - so an intruder must defeat several controls. Know the three control families: physical (fences, locks, bollards, lighting, barriers), electronic (alarms, access control, CCTV, sensors), and procedural (post orders, key control, visitor logs). Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts are frequently tested: natural surveillance (sight lines), natural access control (directing flow with entrances and landscaping), territorial reinforcement (clear boundaries), and maintenance (upkeep signals care and reduces opportunity).
Facility safety
Know key control (logging issue and return, no unmarked keys, rekeying after loss), lighting standards (parking areas and walkways must be lit to reduce hiding places and liability), fire safety (extinguisher classes, exit access and egress width, no blocked or locked exits), and hazard reporting (slips, trips, falls; damaged handrails; exposed wiring). Understand CCTV limitations: cameras observe and record but do not prevent; coverage gaps and privacy limits matter. Understand locking hardware basics - a door that must open without a key from the inside for egress.
Traps and rule of thumb
Traps include thinking cameras replace patrol, assuming a fence is a barrier when it is only a delay, and ignoring a life-safety violation because "the fire marshal handles that." Rule of thumb: layers delay, they don't stop - and life safety outranks convenience every time.