CST Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CST facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the primary ethical obligation of a CST professional when a conflict of interest arises during preventive maintenance schedules activities? → Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary
2. What does a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) do in a surveillance environment? → Monitors network traffic for suspicious or malicious activity
3. What does a firewall rule denying outbound connections from an NVR to unknown external IP addresses help prevent? → Unauthorized data exfiltration or botnet communication
4. Which video analytic feature would best help a retail store understand customer traffic flow patterns? → Heat mapping and people counting analytics
5. What is the primary ethical obligation of a CST professional when a conflict of interest arises during ip camera & poe networking activities? → Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary
6. Which of the following is a fundamental principle of fourth amendment & privacy laws as it applies to Certified Surveillance Technician? → Systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards
7. A CST professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing preventive maintenance schedules duties. What is the most appropriate first action? → Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding
8. Which factor has the GREATEST impact on the storage capacity required for a surveillance system? → The resolution, frame rate, and compression codec used
9. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in intrusion detection & monitoring to verify that CST professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
10. What is role-based access control (RBAC) in the context of a surveillance system? → Assigning specific permissions to users based on their job function
11. What does DVR stand for in a surveillance system? → Digital Video Recorder
12. What is one of the legal consequences of unauthorized surveillance in certain areas? → Criminal charges, fines, or lawsuits for privacy violations.
13. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in fourth amendment & privacy laws to verify that CST professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
14. What is the primary ethical obligation of a CST professional when a conflict of interest arises during cctv camera selection & placement activities? → Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary
15. What is the primary advantage of an NVR over a DVR for modern surveillance installations? → NVRs process video data from IP cameras directly over the network
16. What is the primary ethical obligation of a CST professional when a conflict of interest arises during intrusion detection & monitoring activities? → Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary
17. In AI-based surveillance, what is a 'region of interest' (ROI)? → A defined area within a camera's field of view where analytics are applied
18. What should be done if a surveillance camera shows a blank screen? → Check the power supply, connections, and configuration.
19. Which technology allows surveillance systems to provide night vision? → Infrared (IR) technology.
20. What is the purpose of 'camera tamper detection' in a video analytics system? → Alerting when a camera is obstructed, moved, or spray-painted
21. Which RAID level provides mirroring, meaning data is written identically to two drives simultaneously? → RAID 1
22. What is the purpose of motion-triggered recording in a surveillance storage strategy? → To reduce storage usage by only recording when activity is detected
23. What does 'false positive rate' mean in the context of video analytics? → The frequency of alerts triggered when no actual threat exists
24. Which of the following is the BEST practice when setting up default credentials on new IP cameras? → Change default usernames and passwords immediately
25. What is the primary advantage of IP-based surveillance systems? → Better video quality, remote access, and scalability.
26. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in preventive maintenance schedules to verify that CST professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
27. A CST professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing intrusion detection & monitoring duties. What is the most appropriate first action? → Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding
28. Which of the following is a fundamental principle of card reader & biometric access as it applies to Certified Surveillance Technician? → Systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards
29. Which encryption standard is currently recommended for securing Wi-Fi connections used by wireless surveillance cameras in the US? → WPA2-AES or WPA3
30. What is the role of consent when installing surveillance cameras in residential areas? → Consent is required from the property owner and possibly residents.