4.2. Physical Security

💡 First Principle: Physical security is the foundation of all other security. Encryption, access controls, and firewalls are all bypassed by someone who can physically access your hardware—boot from a USB drive, pull the drive and put it in another machine, or simply walk out with the server. Physical security prevents attackers from reaching the hardware in the first place.

The exam tests physical security from the data center perspective: what controls exist, what they protect against, and how environmental controls support hardware reliability.