Cybersecurity For Dummies

Chapter 5

Enhancing Physical Security

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the basics of physical security for data and electronic devices

Identifying what needs protection

Reducing physical security risks

You may be tempted to skip this chapter — after all, you are reading this book to learn about cybersecurity, not physical security.

But, don’t.

Certain aspects of physical security are essential ingredients of any cybersecurity program, whether formal or informal. In fact, just a few decades ago, the teams responsible for protecting computers and the data housed within them focused specifically on physical security. Locking a computer in a secured area accessible by only authorized personnel was often sufficient to protect it and its contents. Of course, the dawn of networks and the Internet era, coupled with the mass proliferation of computing devices, totally transformed the risks. Today, even computers locked in a physical location can still be accessed electronically by billions of people around the world. That said, the need for physical security is as important as ever.

This chapter covers elements of physical security that are necessary in order to implement and deliver proper ...