Detecting Physical Attacks
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| motion sensors | 运动传感器 | yùn dòng chuán gǎn qì |
| points of ingress and egress | 出入口 | chū rù kǒu |
Controls that detect
- Cameras record activity and help after-incident investigations.
- Security guards respond to what they see.
- Motion sensors 运动传感器 alert staff to movement.
Placement matters
- Cameras belong at points of ingress and egress 出入口 (entrances/exits).
- Motion sensors work best in low-traffic areas like server rooms.
- In a busy hallway they cause constant false alarms.
Good sensor placement or bad?
Motion sensors belong in low-traffic sensitive areas; a busy hallway causes false alarms.
Where are cameras most useful?
Entrances and exits capture who comes and goes.
A guard who walks a route rather than staying still is a ____ guard.
Patrolling guards are harder to plan around.
Which controls DETECT physical attacks? (Choose all)
Encryption protects data, it does not detect intruders.
Guards and logs
- Stationary guards protect a fixed high-value point.
- Patrolling guards are harder for an adversary to plan around.
- Reviewing door-open times in logs can reveal piggybacking.
A motion sensor in a busy hallway triggers so often that staff stop trusting it. Placing detection controls where alerts are meaningful is as important as having them at all.
Why put a motion sensor in a server room, not a busy hallway?
In a busy area, false alarms make people ignore it.
A door that stays open unusually long can be a sign of piggybacking.
Long open times suggest an extra person slipped through.
An entry log shows a door normally opens for 2 seconds, but last night it stayed open for 15 seconds. That long open time is a clue that someone piggybacked through behind an authorised employee.
Detect physical attacks with cameras, guards, motion sensors, and alert employees. Placement decides usefulness: cameras at entrances/exits, sensors in low-traffic zones. Even door-open times in logs can expose piggybacking.