Page 632 - StudyBook.pdf

616 Chapter 11 • Operational and Organizational Security: Incident Response

real ceiling. Even walls may not provide real security, when you consider that
someone could break through weak drywall to enter a “secure” area. If the need for
security justifies the cost, vault rooms constructed of concrete, metal, or other
materials that are difficult to penetrate can be built. In more common situations,
the server room can be positioned beside other secure areas, or in areas that use
cinder blocks or bricks for walls.When designing a physical security plan, make
sure that the walls, ceiling, and floor are secure.

TEST DAY TIP
Remember that physical security includes all sides of a room; the walls,
ceiling, and floor. Even if most of these are secure, leaving one side of
the room insecure can provide an avenue of penetration. Looking at the
room this way will also help to identify where security lapses exist, and
what security measures should be implemented.

Workstations should definitely be protected. Because users of a network need
to use their workstations regularly, locking them up in cabinets or rooms that are
not accessible to users is not an option. However, many portable computers and
workstations have a lock slot on the back panel, with a heavy cable attached that
can then be locked or bolted to a desk or wall. Disk locks can be used to prevent
unauthorized persons from using floppy disks, CD burners, and so on. No one will
be able to use the device to copy data without first unlocking the disk lock. Case
locks are an additional method of preventing intruders from accessing data.A case
lock prevents people from opening a computer case and removing hard disks or
other components from a machine without permission. Combining methods of
protecting hardware and restricting access to data makes it increasingly difficult for
intruders to physically acquire data from the hardware.
In addition to computer equipment, backup tapes should be stored under lock
and key, with copies stored at offsite locations.When backups are made of data on a
server or other machine, they should not be left in the open. If someone acquired a
backup tape, they could restore the data to another computer. For this reason,
backups of data should be stored in a safe or locked cabinet.Also, copies of backup
tapes (and other media storing copies of sensitive data) should be stored offsite. If
fire, flood, or another natural disaster destroys the main site, a copy of the data can
be retrieved from the remote storage location and restored to another server. (See

www.syngress.com