Personal Security & Situational Awareness Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Personal Security & Situational Awareness flashcards as text
When conducting a threat assessment of a meeting location, which factor is MOST critical to evaluate first?
Answer: Entry and exit points and potential escape routes
Identifying entry and exit points and escape routes is the foundational step in assessing any location, as it determines freedom of movement in an emergency.
A field agent notices an individual exhibiting 'target glancing'—repeatedly looking at the agent while trying to appear casual. This behavior indicates:
Answer: A potential threat indicator that warrants heightened awareness and possible evasion
Target glancing—repeatedly checking a subject while feigning disinterest—is a recognized pre-attack and surveillance behavior indicator.
Which personal security measure is MOST effective for protecting sensitive conversations in a non-secure environment?
Answer: Moving to a different location, speaking quietly, or using written notes that are destroyed afterward
Physically relocating to a more private space, minimizing spoken words, or using temporary written communication that is destroyed prevents audio surveillance in non-secure environments.
What is the purpose of a 'safe house' in field operations?
Answer: A secure, prearranged location used for refuge, debriefing, or covert meetings
A safe house is a prearranged, secure location known only to authorized personnel, used for refuge, covert meetings, or emergency debriefing.
During a vehicle stop in a potentially hostile location, the field agent should immediately:
Answer: Lock doors, assess the threat, remain in the vehicle if safe, and prepare for rapid departure
Remaining inside the locked vehicle maintains a protective barrier while the agent assesses the threat and prepares for rapid departure if needed.
Which of the following is an example of 'cover for status' in field security tradecraft?
Answer: A believable explanation for why an agent is present in a particular location or country
Cover for status is the plausible explanation an agent uses to justify their presence or purpose in a location, such as posing as a business traveler or journalist.
A field agent who experiences a vehicle ambush while driving should instinctively:
Answer: Accelerate through the ambush kill zone if possible and move to safety
The primary counter-ambush tactic in a vehicle is to accelerate through the kill zone to break contact, as stopping in the kill zone maximizes exposure to attackers.