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PCI CCA practice questions

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Question 1PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Under PCI card production physical security requirements, what is the primary purpose of a secure room or cage where payment cards are stored before personalization?

  1. To provide climate control for magnetic stripe encoding equipment
  2. To allow visitors to observe personalization for audit transparency
  3. To store marketing collateral alongside finished cards
  4. To restrict access to card stock and prevent unauthorized removal or tampering Correct answer.

Explanation

Secure storage areas exist to control who can reach unpersonalized card stock and to prevent loss, theft, or substitution. Access is limited to authorized personnel and the area is constructed to resist unauthorized entry. Climate control and visitor observation are unrelated to the physical security control's purpose.

Question 2PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which control best describes the requirement for access to areas where payment cards are produced?

  1. Access is controlled only during business hours
  2. Access is limited to authorized individuals and logged for review Correct answer.
  3. Access is granted to any employee who badges into the building
  4. Access is granted to contractors who sign a nondisclosure agreement

Explanation

Production areas must restrict entry to authorized personnel and maintain an audit trail of entries and exits. Badge access records support investigation of anomalies and reconciliation of card inventory. Nondisclosure agreements do not substitute for physical access authorization and logging.

Question 3PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

What is the accepted practice for handling visitor access to a card personalization facility?

  1. Visitors are escorted and their entry and exit are recorded Correct answer.
  2. Visitors may move freely once escorted to the lobby
  3. Visitors sign in only when they carry equipment
  4. Visitors are issued a production badge for the day

Explanation

Visitors in card production environments must be authorized in advance, escorted by approved personnel, and their presence logged. This prevents unescorted access to card stock and personalization systems. Issuing production badges or leaving visitors unaccompanied would defeat the control.

Question 4PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which practice supports the physical security of card stock inventory in a production facility?

  1. Reconciling card stock counts against issuance records at defined intervals Correct answer.
  2. Combining blank and personalized card counts in one log
  3. Allowing operators to take damaged cards home for disposal
  4. Storing excess stock in unlocked cabinets near the personalization line

Explanation

Periodic reconciliation of card stock against records detects loss or diversion and is a core physical security control. Stock must remain in secured storage, and damaged cards require controlled destruction with documentation. Blanks and personalized cards are tracked separately to preserve accountability.

Question 5PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

What physical security measure is expected for the destruction of payment cards and card components that fail personalization?

  1. Storing them indefinitely in an open bin
  2. Discarding them in general office waste
  3. Returning them to the customer without documentation
  4. Destroying them so they cannot be reconstructed, with the destruction recorded Correct answer.

Explanation

Defective or rejected cards must be destroyed to a degree that prevents recovery of card data or usable card bodies, and the destruction must be documented. This closes the loop on card accountability. Open bins or general waste allow recovery of sensitive material.

Question 6PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which element is part of the physical security requirements for the card personalization equipment itself?

  1. Equipment protected only by the vendor's maintenance contract
  2. Equipment installed in a shared office where staff can monitor it
  3. Equipment placed in a controlled area with access limited to authorized operators Correct answer.
  4. Equipment located near the loading dock for fast card delivery

Explanation

Personalization equipment must reside in a controlled area where only authorized operators have access, since the equipment processes sensitive card and key material. Physical placement near uncontrolled traffic or reliance on contracts does not provide the required protection.

Question 7PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Why must sensitive data such as card verification values and PIN-related material be protected from observation during production?

  1. Because observation could allow unauthorized disclosure of card data usable for fraud Correct answer.
  2. Because observation is prohibited only for marketing reasons
  3. Because observation slows the production line
  4. Because observation changes the card's magnetic encoding

Explanation

Shoulder surfing and visual exposure of printed or displayed card data can lead to fraud if the data is captured. Physical security therefore includes positioning screens and printers so sensitive output is not visible to unauthorized persons. The concern is disclosure, not line speed or encoding behavior.

Question 8PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which control helps detect unauthorized entry into a card production area after hours?

  1. A sign stating that the area is restricted
  2. Weekly cleaning of the entry vestibule
  3. Posting the production schedule on the door
  4. Alarm monitoring on doors combined with review of access logs Correct answer.

Explanation

Detection relies on alarms and access logs that are reviewed so unusual entries are identified and investigated. Signage alone is a deterrent, not a detection mechanism. Cleaning schedules and posted schedules do not reveal unauthorized access.

Question 9PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility stores blank payment cards in a vault and personalizes them in a separate room. Which additional control best preserves the chain of custody when stock moves between the two areas?

  1. A monthly summary prepared by the finance team
  2. Verbal confirmation between the two shift supervisors
  3. A signed transfer record documenting quantity, time, and handlers Correct answer.
  4. An email notification sent after the movement is complete

Explanation

Movements of card stock between secured areas must be documented at the time of transfer with quantities and responsible individuals so accountability is continuous. Retrospective notifications, verbal confirmations, and periodic summaries do not establish custody at the point of transfer.

Question 10PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

During an audit, an assessor finds that the card production room door is propped open for ventilation. What is the most appropriate characterization of this finding?

  1. A minor housekeeping issue with no security impact
  2. An acceptable practice if the outer lobby door is locked
  3. A valid arrangement provided a camera covers the doorway
  4. A physical security control failure that undermines restricted access Correct answer.

Explanation

A propped door defeats the access control boundary and allows unrecorded entry, so it is a control failure regardless of outer doors or cameras. Cameras record events but do not prevent access or substitute for a functioning barrier.

Question 11PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which arrangement for the destruction of sensitive production waste best meets physical security expectations?

  1. Waste is accumulated in a locked container and destroyed by an approved method with witnessed records Correct answer.
  2. Waste is shredded by any employee using the office shredder
  3. Waste is held in an open bin until the weekly pickup
  4. Waste is compacted together with non-sensitive trash

Explanation

Sensitive waste must be secured until destroyed by an approved method, and the destruction should be witnessed and documented. Ad hoc shredding, open bins, and commingling with general trash create opportunities for recovery of card data.

Question 12PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A vendor performs on-site maintenance on a personalization machine. Which physical security practice applies while the vendor is in the production room?

  1. The vendor works alone because of confidentiality clauses
  2. The vendor is escorted or monitored and activity is logged Correct answer.
  3. The vendor is given a master key for convenience
  4. The vendor is allowed to remove defective cards for analysis

Explanation

Third parties in a card production area must be authorized, escorted or monitored, and their activity recorded to prevent unauthorized access or removal of material. Master keys and unsupervised access extend privileges beyond the maintenance task, and cards should not leave the controlled environment without an approved, documented process.

Question 13PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Why should card personalization systems be positioned so that operator screens are not visible from corridors or windows?

  1. To prevent unauthorized persons from viewing sensitive card or key data Correct answer.
  2. To comply with ergonomic workstation standards
  3. To reduce glare on the monitors
  4. To allow the public to verify that production is occurring

Explanation

Screen positioning is a physical confidentiality control that prevents visual capture of card data, keys, or PIN material by people outside the authorized group. Glare and ergonomics are comfort considerations, and public visibility of production is contrary to the security objective.

Question 14PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility wants to strengthen perimeter protection for its card production building. Which measure most directly supports that goal?

  1. Exterior signage identifying the building as a card facility
  2. Controlled entry points with locks, alarms, and monitored access Correct answer.
  3. Parking spaces reserved for production staff near the door
  4. Landscaping that hides the building from the road

Explanation

Perimeter protection depends on limiting and controlling entry points and detecting unauthorized attempts through locks, alarms, and monitoring. Concealing the building, reserved parking, and signage do not control entry and signage may increase targeting risk.

Question 15PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which practice best protects card stock during non-production hours?

  1. Stock is covered with a cloth on the production floor
  2. Stock is returned to a locked, access-controlled storage area and counted Correct answer.
  3. Stock is left in the machine hoppers to speed the next shift
  4. Stock is placed in the supervisor's desk drawer

Explanation

Card stock should be secured in a controlled storage area outside production and reconciled to records so any discrepancy is detected promptly. Leaving stock on the floor, in hoppers, or in a desk drawer removes it from controlled custody.

Question 16PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

An assessor reviews CCTV coverage of a card personalization room. Which characteristic is most important for the coverage to support physical security?

  1. Cameras are installed by the lowest bidder
  2. Cameras cover card handling and entry points, and recordings are retained and reviewed Correct answer.
  3. Cameras record only the exterior parking area
  4. Cameras are visible so staff know they are monitored

Explanation

Surveillance supports security when it covers sensitive handling and access points and when recordings are retained for a defined period and reviewed. Visibility alone is only a deterrent, and coverage of irrelevant areas does not protect card operations.

Question 17PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

What is the purpose of separating duties between the person who issues card stock from secure storage and the person who reconciles inventory?

  1. To reduce the chance that one person can remove stock and conceal the loss Correct answer.
  2. To satisfy equipment vendor requirements
  3. To speed up the reconciliation process
  4. To allow one person to work across shifts

Explanation

Separating custody from reconciliation creates a check that makes concealment of removal more difficult. This is a fundamental segregation-of-duties control in card production physical security. Speed, vendor terms, and shift flexibility are not the objective.

Question 18PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility discovers a discrepancy between recorded and physical card stock counts. Which action best reflects sound physical security response?

  1. Destroy the remaining stock to close the discrepancy
  2. Investigate immediately, secure the area, and document findings Correct answer.
  3. Adjust the records to match the physical count
  4. Wait for the next quarterly audit to confirm

Explanation

A stock discrepancy may indicate theft or diversion, so the response is to investigate promptly, protect the area, and document the findings. Altering records or destroying stock would conceal evidence, and delay allows further loss.

Question 19PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which control most directly limits the risk of unauthorized removal of finished payment cards from a production facility?

  1. Locking the front door after the shift starts
  2. A policy that employees must be trustworthy
  3. Inspection of bags and packages at exit points Correct answer.
  4. Publishing the card issuance schedule internally

Explanation

Exit inspection is a physical control that detects attempts to remove cards or sensitive material from the facility. Reliance on trust, a single locked door, or internal publication does not prevent or detect removal.

Question 20PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A production manager proposes storing backup personalization keys on a USB drive in the machine room for quick recovery. Which assessment is correct?

  1. It is acceptable if the drive is encrypted and left in the room
  2. It is unacceptable because key material requires controlled storage separate from the production area Correct answer.
  3. It is acceptable because the machine room is already restricted
  4. It is acceptable if the USB drive is labeled confidential

Explanation

Key material must be protected under strict custody controls and should not be stored casually in the production area where it could be copied or removed. Existing room restrictions, labeling, or encryption alone do not satisfy the need for controlled key storage and accountability.

Question 21PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility shares a loading dock with a neighboring business. Which control best mitigates the risk this creates for card stock deliveries?

  1. Deliveries are left on the shared dock for pickup when convenient
  2. Deliveries are received in a controlled, monitored area by authorized staff and reconciled immediately Correct answer.
  3. The neighboring business signs for the card stock
  4. Deliveries are scheduled only when the dock is busiest

Explanation

Shared or uncontrolled receiving areas create a risk of loss or substitution, so card stock should be received in a controlled monitored area, by authorized staff, and reconciled at receipt. Leaving stock on a shared dock or letting another business sign for it breaks custody.

Question 22PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

An auditor notes that the same individual both configures the physical access control system and approves access for new production staff. Why is this a significant finding?

  1. Because approval should be automated without human review
  2. Because it allows one person to grant and conceal unauthorized access to the production area Correct answer.
  3. Because it slows the onboarding process for new staff
  4. Because access systems should be configured by the equipment vendor

Explanation

Combining administration of the access system with approval authority removes the independent check that prevents and detects unauthorized access grants. Segregation of duties is essential where the control protects card stock and personalization systems. Onboarding speed and vendor configuration are not the security concern.

Question 23PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility uses a single key for the card vault, and that key is passed between shift supervisors. Which change most improves physical security?

  1. Store the key in a locked box near the vault
  2. Implement dual control with keys or codes held by separate individuals and logged use Correct answer.
  3. Make additional copies of the key for each supervisor
  4. Replace the key with a combination written on the vault door

Explanation

Dual control ensures no single person can open the vault alone, and logging use creates accountability. Additional copies, a nearby key box, or a posted combination all weaken control by increasing access or disclosure.

Question 24PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A personalization room has an emergency exit door that must remain functional for fire safety. How should physical security address this door?

  1. Disable the alarm so staff can use it freely
  2. Remove the door and rely on the main entrance
  3. Keep it locked from the inside at all times
  4. Equip it with an alarmed emergency exit that is monitored and investigated when used Correct answer.

Explanation

Life-safety exits must remain usable, so the security control is an alarm and monitoring that detect and trigger investigation of use. Locking or disabling alarms compromises either safety or security, and removing the exit violates fire safety.

Question 25PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility plans to allow a cleaning crew into the card production room overnight without an escort. Which condition would make this acceptable?

  1. The crew is vetted, authorized, monitored, and the area is secured with cards locked away before entry Correct answer.
  2. The crew signs a confidentiality agreement before starting
  3. The crew has cleaned the building for many years
  4. The production manager trusts the crew supervisor

Explanation

Unescorted access by third parties can be acceptable only when individuals are vetted and authorized, their activity is monitored, and sensitive material is secured before entry. Agreements, tenure, and personal trust do not substitute for these controls.

Question 26PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which physical security measure most directly prevents an unauthorized person from following an authorized employee through a controlled door into a card personalization room?

  1. An additional badge reader on the same door
  2. A posted sign stating that tailgating is prohibited
  3. Brighter lighting in the corridor outside the door
  4. A mantrap or interlocking portal that admits one person at a time Correct answer.

Explanation

A mantrap or interlocking portal physically limits passage to one authenticated person at a time, so a second person cannot slip through on the same authorization. Signage and lighting only deter or inform, and a second reader on the same door does not change the single-passage geometry.

Question 27PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

What is the primary purpose of recording badge access events for a card personalization room and retaining those logs?

  1. To measure employee productivity during production shifts
  2. To satisfy fire code occupancy reporting requirements
  3. To replace the need for video surveillance of the room
  4. To create an auditable trail of who entered the sensitive area and when Correct answer.

Explanation

Access logs create a historical record that supports investigations, reconciliation of production activity, and audit evidence about who was in the sensitive area and when. They complement, rather than replace, surveillance and other controls.

Question 28PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which characteristic of a card stock storage container best supports the physical security objective for unused cards?

  1. It is lockable, tamper-evident, and dedicated to card stock Correct answer.
  2. It is labeled with the card brand and quantity on the outside
  3. It is transparent so staff can see inventory levels at a glance
  4. It is located near the production line for rapid replenishment

Explanation

Unused card stock must be held in a container that can be locked, shows evidence of tampering, and is used only for that purpose so inventory stays controlled. Visibility, proximity to the line, and external labeling all increase exposure rather than reduce it.

Question 29PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Why should a card personalization facility control and log the entry of tools, test cards, and spare parts into the production room?

  1. To prevent unauthorized material from being introduced or sensitive items from leaving unnoticed Correct answer.
  2. To shorten the machine maintenance window
  3. To reduce the facility's property insurance premiums
  4. To comply with occupational noise exposure limits

Explanation

Controlling and logging items carried into and out of the room closes a channel for introducing skimming or recording devices and for removing cards or components. The control is about material accountability, not insurance, throughput, or workplace noise.

Question 30PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A visitor needs to observe a personalization line for a vendor demonstration. Which arrangement best meets physical security expectations?

  1. Escort the visitor at all times and restrict the visit to areas where sensitive data and card stock are not exposed Correct answer.
  2. Require the visitor to sign a confidentiality agreement instead of providing an escort
  3. Permit the visit only during a shift change when staff are distracted
  4. Issue the visitor a temporary badge and allow unescorted access to the production floor

Explanation

Visitors in a card production area should be escorted continuously and kept away from exposed sensitive data and card stock. A badge, timing the visit around a busy period, or relying on a signed agreement alone does not provide the supervision the area requires.

Question 31PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which practice best ensures that a lost card vault key does not permanently compromise stored card stock?

  1. Keeping a duplicate of the key in an unmarked drawer in the production office
  2. Recording the key's serial number in the shift log
  3. Using a lock that can be rekeyed or a keyed system that supports prompt credential replacement Correct answer.
  4. Requiring supervisors to share one key across all shifts

Explanation

A rekeyable lock or replaceable credential lets the facility invalidate a lost key immediately so it no longer opens the vault. Duplicates in the office, log entries, and shared keys all extend the exposure rather than end it.

Question 32PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Why does physical security guidance call for protecting the area where personalization data is loaded or displayed from casual observation?

  1. Because the data display consumes power that must be conserved
  2. Because labor regulations prohibit monitoring workstations
  3. Because observers may distract operators and slow production
  4. Because observing sensitive data can enable later fraud even if no card or device is taken Correct answer.

Explanation

Shoulder surfing and casual viewing can expose keys, PIN material, or card data that enables fraud later without any physical theft. The concern is disclosure of sensitive information, not productivity, power, or labor rules.

Question 33PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which measure most directly reduces the risk that card stock is removed through a fire exit during working hours?

  1. Alarming the fire exit so opening it triggers an immediate response while keeping it usable for evacuation Correct answer.
  2. Placing the fire exit next to the loading dock for convenience
  3. Painting the fire exit in a color that matches the walls
  4. Locking the fire exit permanently and posting an evacuation map

Explanation

Fire exits must remain usable for life safety, so the appropriate control is an alarm or equivalent monitoring that detects and prompts a response to use. Permanently locking the exit violates evacuation needs, and cosmetic or locational choices do not control removal.

Question 34PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility keeps its card personalization machines in a room with a shared wall to a public retail area. Which construction feature best supports the physical security requirement?

  1. Floor-to-ceiling walls that resist penetration and extend above any suspended ceiling Correct answer.
  2. A glass panel in the shared wall for natural light
  3. A half-height partition that allows staff to see into the retail area
  4. A removable ceiling tile above the machine for cable access

Explanation

Sensitive production areas should be bounded by construction that resists penetration and reaches from slab to slab, including above suspended ceilings, so the room cannot be entered from an adjacent space. Half-height, glass, or removable-ceiling features create bypass routes.

Question 35PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which control best protects personalization equipment from unauthorized use when the production room is staffed but the machine is idle?

  1. A dust cover placed over the machine between jobs
  2. Automatic session lock and operator authentication on the personalization application Correct answer.
  3. A printed notice asking operators to log out
  4. Turning off the room lights when the machine is idle

Explanation

An idle machine must be protected by enforced authentication and automatic session lock so an unattended console cannot be used to personalize or alter cards. A cover, a notice, or darkness does not block logical access to the system.

Question 36PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility wants to detect someone attempting to cut through the wall of its card personalization room. Which control is most appropriate?

  1. A motion detector inside the room aimed at the door
  2. A camera covering the corridor outside the room
  3. A badge reader on the room's main entrance
  4. Vibration or shock sensors on the wall connected to an alarm system Correct answer.

Explanation

Penetration attempts through the structure are detected by sensors that respond to cutting, drilling, or shock on the wall itself. Interior motion, corridor cameras, and door readers only observe or control normal entry paths.

Question 37PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which practice best supports the principle that card production areas are accessible only to personnel with a demonstrated need?

  1. Adding new hires to the access list before their background check is complete
  2. Granting all production staff access to every secure area so shifts can flex
  3. Reviewing access rights periodically against current job duties and removing rights that are no longer required Correct answer.
  4. Issuing master badges to managers so they can lend them out

Explanation

Least privilege in a card production environment depends on periodic review that matches access to current duties and revokes what is no longer needed. Broad access, shared master badges, and pre-clearance onboarding all undermine that principle.

Question 38PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility stores finished, activated cards awaiting shipment. Which combination of controls best protects them?

  1. A locked, access-controlled cage with inventory records reconciled at each transfer Correct answer.
  2. A sealed carton left on the loading dock until the courier arrives
  3. A shared storage room also used for office supplies
  4. A shelf in the production room labeled with the card quantity

Explanation

Activated cards awaiting shipment are high-value items that should be held in a locked, access-controlled enclosure with recorded transfers and reconciliation. Leaving them on a dock, on an open shelf, or in shared storage removes both the physical barrier and the accountability.

Question 39PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

What is the security value of requiring two authorized people to open a card vault together?

  1. It allows the vault key to be stored inside the vault
  2. It removes the need to log vault access events
  3. No single person can access the stock alone, so collusion is required for misuse Correct answer.
  4. It doubles the speed of inventory counts

Explanation

Dual control means the vault cannot be opened by one individual, so any misuse requires at least two people acting together and each opening has two accountable witnesses. It does not speed counting, eliminate logging, or justify storing a key inside the vault.

Question 40PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

An assessor finds that card stock is counted monthly but the count is performed by the same person who issues stock to production. Which change most improves the control?

  1. Have an independent person perform or verify the periodic count against records Correct answer.
  2. Increase the count frequency to weekly while keeping the same counter
  3. Replace the paper log with a spreadsheet maintained by the issuer
  4. Allow the issuer to self-certify the count in the audit file

Explanation

Inventory counts are a detective control whose value depends on independence from the custodian, so a separate person should count or verify against records. More frequent counting by the same custodian, a different tool, or self-certification leaves the conflict in place.

Question 41PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which physical security practice applies to the secure storage of personalized cards that fail quality checks and await destruction?

  1. Hold them in a locked, access-controlled location with a recorded count until destruction is witnessed Correct answer.
  2. Store them in an unlocked bin near the operator's desk for convenience
  3. Return them to the general blank card stock shelf
  4. Mail them to the card issuer without recording the transfer

Explanation

Rejected personalized cards are still sensitive material and must be secured and counted until they are destroyed under witness. Mixing them with blank stock, leaving them unsecured, or shipping them unrecorded all break the chain of custody.

Question 42PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Why should the physical security plan for a card production facility define response actions for intrusion alarms rather than only specifying the alarm hardware?

  1. Because detection has value only if an alarm reliably triggers an investigation and documented response Correct answer.
  2. Because response actions replace the need for access control
  3. Because alarm hardware is inexpensive and response planning is the larger cost
  4. Because insurers require a written plan before installing sensors

Explanation

An alarm is useful only when it produces a timely, documented response that can interrupt or investigate an intrusion. Hardware alone does not create that outcome, and response planning does not substitute for access control or exist merely for cost or insurance reasons.

Question 43PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility plans to install a network video recorder for its card production cameras. Which practice best protects the recorded footage?

  1. Set the recorder to overwrite footage every hour to save storage
  2. Connect the recorder to the guest wireless network for remote viewing
  3. Place the recorder in a locked, access-controlled space and restrict who can view or export footage Correct answer.
  4. Allow any employee to view live and recorded video from a public workstation

Explanation

Recorded video is sensitive security evidence and should be held in a locked, access-controlled location with viewing and export restricted to authorized roles. Open viewing, rapid overwriting, or guest-network exposure undermines its integrity and confidentiality.

Question 44PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which control most directly addresses the risk that an employee conceals finished cards on their person when leaving the production room?

  1. A camera aimed at the production machines rather than the exit
  2. An honor-system declaration form completed at the end of each quarter
  3. Screening of personnel and bags at the exit, supported by a policy that authorizes it Correct answer.
  4. A sign at the exit reminding staff that theft is prohibited

Explanation

Concealment on the person is deterred and detected by exit screening of people and bags under an announced, authorized policy. Signage and honor-system forms rely on compliance, and cameras that do not cover the exit cannot detect removal.

Question 45PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A personalization room's badge reader is mounted so that a person outside can see the reader and the door from a public corridor. Which change best supports physical security?

  1. Relocate or screen the reader and door so entry activity cannot be observed from the public area Correct answer.
  2. Add a second reader on the inside of the door
  3. Increase the reader's beep volume so staff know it worked
  4. Post a sign listing the names of authorized staff

Explanation

Observation of the entry point lets an attacker learn access patterns and watch credentials being presented, so the reader and door should be screened from public view. An inside reader, louder feedback, or a posted staff list does not address that exposure.

Question 46PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

Which element is essential when establishing a controlled boundary for a card production facility that occupies part of a larger building?

  1. Reliance on the building's main lobby reception desk as the only checkpoint
  2. An open-plan layout that lets other tenants see into the production area
  3. A clearly defined and physically enforced perimeter separating the sensitive area from shared building space Correct answer.
  4. Use of movable partitions that can be repositioned by any tenant

Explanation

When only part of a building is sensitive, the facility must define and physically enforce a perimeter around that area rather than depending on shared building controls. Lobby reliance, movable partitions, and open sightlines leave the boundary undefined or bypassable.

Question 47PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

An assessor notes that the card production room's environmental controls, fire suppression, and power are shared with a neighboring tenant's suite. Which risk does this create for physical security of card production?

  1. Shared power will automatically encrypt personalization data
  2. A neighboring tenant's personnel or contractors may gain access to the sensitive area through shared service spaces Correct answer.
  3. The shared systems will make card personalization run faster than intended
  4. Fire suppression sharing eliminates the need for intrusion alarms

Explanation

Shared service spaces such as risers, ceiling voids, and utility rooms can become uncontrolled paths into the sensitive area for the other tenant's staff and contractors. Shared systems do not improve machine speed, encrypt data, or replace intrusion detection.

Question 48PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility discovers that its camera system clock drifts by several hours, so recorded timestamps do not match badge access logs. Why does this matter for physical security?

  1. Correlating video with access events becomes unreliable, weakening investigation and detection of anomalies Correct answer.
  2. Drifting clocks cause the cameras to stop recording
  3. Timestamp errors automatically erase older footage
  4. Badge readers will reject valid credentials when clocks differ

Explanation

Video is most useful when its timestamps can be matched to access logs and production records to reconstruct events. Clock drift breaks that correlation and undermines investigations, but it does not stop recording, erase footage, or affect badge validation.

Question 49PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility wants to reduce the risk that a contractor servicing the personalization machine introduces a device that captures card data. Which control set is most appropriate?

  1. Escort and monitor the contractor, inspect tools and equipment brought in, and verify the machine configuration after the visit Correct answer.
  2. Require the contractor to sign in at the lobby and work unsupervised
  3. Disable access logs during maintenance to avoid clutter
  4. Allow the contractor to keep a spare diagnostic laptop in the room between visits

Explanation

Contractor risk is managed by continuous supervision, inspection of what enters the room, and verification that the equipment was left in its approved state. Unsupervised work, stored contractor equipment, and suspended logging all create opportunities for tampering or data capture.

Question 50PCI Card Production and Provisioning – Physical Security Requirements

A facility's card vault is protected by a lock that records each opening but does not identify the person. Which limitation does this create for the physical security control?

  1. The lock cannot be used with dual control procedures
  2. The lock will fail to open when the audit log is full
  3. The record shows that the vault was opened but cannot attribute the opening to a specific individual Correct answer.
  4. The record cannot show the date and time of the opening

Explanation

Attribution is what makes an audit trail useful for investigating and deterring misuse, and an anonymous opening record cannot tie an event to a person. The lock still records time, and it can be combined with dual control, but accountability for each opening is missing.