One server room, six answers
A company keeps its servers in one room. The manager asks: "How do we keep it safe?"
A good answer is not one lock. It is six kinds of control. Each kind does a different job.
In this lesson you learn the six jobs. The next lessons show the tools for each job.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Something you put in place to reduce a risk. | a lock on a door |
| Risk | The chance that something bad happens, and how bad it would be. | |
| Incident | A bad event, such as a break-in, a fire or a leak of data. | |
| Proactive | Acts before something happens. | |
| Reactive | Acts after something has happened. | |
| Physical control | A real object or building feature. | a fence |
| Administrative control | A rule, a policy or a procedure that people follow. | |
| Procedure | A set of steps people follow, the same way each time. | |
| Network | Computers joined together so they can share data. | |
| Technical control | Software or settings on a computer or network. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name the six kinds of control and say what job each one does.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Cycle 1: the six jobs
Preventative controls stop an incident happening. They are proactive.
Detective controls spot an incident while it happens, or find it afterwards.
Corrective controls are reactive. They limit the damage and stop it happening again.
Deterrent controls put people off. They act first, before anyone tries.
The other two jobs
Directive controls tell people what to do. They build a culture where staff think about security.
Compensating controls are the back-up plan. They protect you when the main control fails.
Many sites also plan recovery. That means getting the service working again. A later lesson covers it.
The six kinds side by side
| Kind | Its job | When it acts | Server room example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventative | Stop it happening | Before | A locked cage round the servers |
| Detective | Spot it, now or later | During or after | A log of who entered |
| Corrective | Limit damage, stop it again | After | A gas system that puts out a fire |
| Deterrent | Put people off | Before | A visible camera and a guard |
| Directive | Tell people what to do | Before | A sign: "Badges must be worn" |
| Compensating | Cover for a failed control | When another control fails | Cooling that still works if the air conditioning breaks |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: which job?
Have a go
Check: which job?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.