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Physical Access Control

What is Physical Access Control?

Security measures that restrict physical entry to facilities, rooms, or areas to authorized individuals using barriers, locks, and authentication systems.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as physical access control. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on physical access control

Requirements naming physical access control across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

FedRAMP High2 controls

Enforce physical access at entry/exit points; verify authorizations; control ingress/egress; maintain audit logs.

PE-3 · Physical Access Control

Restrict physical access to OT areas, control rooms, network closets, and field cabinets using authenticated entry controls and visitor management.

OT-PHYS-1 · Physical Access Control to OT Assets

Implement physical access controls at facilities housing critical control systems and network infrastructure.

AWWA-2.4 · Physical Access Controls

Certificates are protected by logical and physical access controls, encryption, and user authentication.

ISM-1327 · Certificates are protected by logical and physical access controls, encryption, and user a

People and Physical Security. The member must maintain access controls that prevent unauthorised entry to facilities, including employee/visitor/vendor identification, badge issuance and removal, and challenge procedures for unauthorised persons.

CTPAT-MSC-10 · Physical Access Controls

The entity must control physical access to secure areas and manage visitors and escorts to prevent unauthorised access to people, assets and classified information.

DISP-PHYS-ACCESS · Physical access control and visitor management

Questions people ask about physical access control

What is Physical Access Control?
Security measures that restrict physical entry to facilities, rooms, or areas to authorized individuals using barriers, locks, and authentication systems.
Why is Physical Access Control important for compliance?
Physical Access Control is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding physical access control helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Physical Access Control?
Physical Access Control appears in the requirement text of FedRAMP High, NIST SP 800-82 Rev 3, AWWA Cybersecurity Guidance for the Water Sector (American Water Works Association), Australian Information Security Manual, C-TPAT - Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Physical Access Control?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how physical access control applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Physical Access Control applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.