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Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Security Architecture and Engineering Flashcards
91 question-and-answer cards covering Security Architecture and Engineering as it is examined in Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Security Architecture and Engineering deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
What is CPTED and its three main strategies?
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design — using the physical environment to reduce crime. Three strategies: natural surveillance, natural access control, and natural territorial reinforcement.
When selecting a facility site, what location-based security factors should be evaluated?
Visibility/profile of the site, surrounding area crime rate and neighbors, proximity to emergency services (police/fire/hospital), accessibility/transportation, and exposure to natural disasters (floods, earthquakes).
What is a security control zone / facility layering approach?
Concentric layers of protection from the perimeter inward (fence, building, internal rooms, secure server room), with increasing controls toward critical assets — applying defense in depth physically.
What CCTV factors affect effective surveillance?
Field of view, focal length/lens, depth of field, lighting/illumination (lux), resolution, and whether the camera is for detection vs identification. PTZ cameras add pan-tilt-zoom flexibility.
What deters vehicles and controls vehicular approach to a facility?
Bollards, planters, and barriers that stop or slow vehicles (anti-ram protection), plus controlled gates and serpentine/curved approach roads.
What is a mantrap (access control vestibule) and what attack does it prevent?
A small space with two interlocking doors where only one opens at a time, allowing one person through at a time. It prevents tailgating/piggybacking by trapping unauthorized followers.
What fence heights are recommended for different deterrence levels?
3–4 ft (1 m) deters casual trespassers; 6–7 ft (2 m) is too high to climb easily; 8 ft (2.4 m) plus three strands of barbed wire deters determined intruders.
What is the difference between tailgating and piggybacking?
Tailgating: an unauthorized person follows an authorized person through a door without their knowledge/consent. Piggybacking: the unauthorized entry happens with the authorized person's consent/knowledge.
What are the four main classes of locks/access devices used for physical entry?
Mechanical (key/warded, pin-tumbler), combination/cipher locks, electronic/smart locks, and biometric locks; plus device locks (cable locks, port controls). Locks are considered delay devices, not absolute prevention.
What is the recommended guideline for guard and dog use in physical security?
Security guards provide discernment/judgment and can adapt to situations (best where reasoning is needed); guard dogs provide deterrence and detection but raise cost, care, and liability concerns.
What lighting standard is commonly cited for perimeter/critical area illumination?
Critical areas should be illuminated to about 2 foot-candles (≈ 8 feet of light, e.g., the NIST guidance of 2 ft-candles at 8 ft height). Continuous, glare, and standby lighting are common types.
What humidity range is recommended for a data center, and why do extremes matter?
Roughly 40–60% relative humidity. Too low causes static electricity (ESD risk to components); too high causes condensation and corrosion. (Older guidance cited 20–80%, but tighter ranges are preferred.)
What is the ideal temperature range for a server/computer room?
Approximately 64–81°F (18–27°C) per ASHRAE guidance; older CISSP references cite ~60–75°F. Excessive heat damages equipment and components have varying damage thresholds.
Define brownout, blackout, sag, spike, and surge in power terms.
Blackout = total loss of power; Brownout = prolonged low voltage; Sag/Dip = momentary low voltage; Spike = momentary high voltage; Surge = prolonged high voltage. (Fault = momentary loss; inrush = initial surge at startup.)
What is the difference between a UPS and a generator for power continuity?
A UPS provides immediate, short-term battery power to bridge brief outages and allow safe shutdown or transfer; a generator provides long-term backup power for extended outages but takes time to start.
What are the classes of fire and the correct suppression agent for each?
Class A (common combustibles): water/soda acid; Class B (liquids): CO2/foam/dry chemical; Class C (electrical): CO2/non-conductive agent; Class D (combustible metals): dry powder; Class K (kitchen/oils): wet chemical.
What replaced Halon as a clean fire-suppression agent and why?
Halon was banned (Montreal Protocol) for depleting the ozone layer. Replacements include FM-200, FE-13, Inergen, Argon, and CO2 — clean agents that suppress fire without harming electronics.
Compare wet pipe, dry pipe, deluge, and pre-action sprinkler systems.
Wet pipe: water always in pipes (fast, leak risk). Dry pipe: pipes hold air, water released when triggered (delay). Deluge: open heads dump large water volume. Pre-action: combines dry pipe with a two-stage trigger (detector + head) to reduce accidental discharge — best near electronics.
What are the four stages of a fire, and which detector type catches the earliest stage?
Incipient (no visible smoke), Smoke (visible), Flame (visible fire), Heat (intense heat). Ionization/air-aspirating detectors catch the earliest incipient stage; photoelectric detectors sense smoke; heat detectors trigger latest.
Why is a data center typically built on a raised floor, and what hazard does that introduce?
A raised floor routes cabling and conditioned/cooling air underneath. The hazard is water accumulation beneath the floor, so water/moisture detection sensors should be placed under raised floors.
What is the purpose of a positive pressure HVAC system in a data center?
Positive air pressure pushes air outward when doors/openings occur, preventing contaminants, dust, and smoke from being drawn into the room. HVAC should also have dedicated power and emergency shutoff.
What is the difference between a 'hot aisle/cold aisle' arrangement and why is it used?
Server racks are arranged so cold-air intakes face cold aisles and hot exhausts face hot aisles, separating cool supply from hot exhaust air to improve cooling efficiency and prevent equipment overheating.
What grounding and static-control measures protect equipment in a data center?
Proper electrical grounding, anti-static flooring/mats, ESD wrist straps, humidity control (40–60%), and avoiding carpet — all to prevent electrostatic discharge that can damage sensitive components.
What is the security purpose of a Faraday cage in facility design?
A Faraday cage (conductive enclosure) blocks electromagnetic fields, preventing emanation/eavesdropping (TEMPEST) of signals out and shielding equipment from external EMI/RFI interference.
What this deck covers
The Security Architecture and Engineering deck follows the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Security Architecture and Engineering syllabus — 5 chapters and 16 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 18.2 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 200 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Security Architecture and Engineering flashcards FAQ
How many Security Architecture and Engineering flashcards are in this Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) deck?
91 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 91-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Security Architecture and Engineering cards cover?
They follow the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Security Architecture and Engineering syllabus — 5 chapters and 16 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.