What is the primary purpose of physical security controls in Annex B?

• A. Ensures tamper resistance of devices and secure storage.
• B. Provides environmental monitoring and access control.
• C. Prevents tampering and theft of equipment.
• D. Improves system performance.

Answer: (C)

The goal of physical security controls is to prevent tampering and theft of equipment. These controls protect hardware and the facilities from unauthorized physical access, ensuring that devices are not illicitly altered or removed, which could compromise data, integrity, or service availability. Measures like secure enclosures, tamper-evident seals, restricted-access areas, locks, surveillance, and alarms work together to deter, detect, and delay physical intrusions. While tamper resistance and secure storage are important components and environmental monitoring or access control may be part of the broader security program, the core aim is to stop both tampering with devices and the theft of equipment.