PSC Personnel Security & Insider Threats 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of a personnel security program in a physical security context?
- To maximize employee productivity
- To identify and mitigate risks posed by individuals with authorized access (Correct answer)
- To reduce hiring costs
- To streamline onboarding procedures
Correct answer: To identify and mitigate risks posed by individuals with authorized access
Personnel security programs focus on identifying and mitigating risks from individuals who have legitimate access to facilities or sensitive assets.
Question 2: Which of the following is a key indicator of potential insider threat activity?
- Requesting vacation time
- Working overtime regularly
- Accessing systems and areas outside normal job duties (Correct answer)
- Participating in company wellness programs
Correct answer: Accessing systems and areas outside normal job duties
Accessing systems or areas beyond an employee's role is a classic behavioral indicator of insider threat activity.
Question 3: A pre-employment background investigation for a sensitive position should include which of the following?
- Social media follower count
- Criminal history, employment verification, and reference checks (Correct answer)
- Favorite hobbies and interests
- Political party affiliation
Correct answer: Criminal history, employment verification, and reference checks
Comprehensive background investigations for sensitive roles typically include criminal history, employment verification, and professional reference checks.
Question 4: What does the term 'need-to-know' mean in personnel security?
- Employees must be told all company policies
- Access to sensitive information is limited to those who require it to perform their duties (Correct answer)
- All staff need security awareness training
- Managers must know every employee's personal details
Correct answer: Access to sensitive information is limited to those who require it to perform their duties
The need-to-know principle restricts access to sensitive information only to personnel who require it to fulfill their specific job responsibilities.
Question 5: Which personnel security measure helps detect unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information?
- Open-door management policy
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) combined with access logging (Correct answer)
- Team-building activities
- Flexible work schedules
Correct answer: Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) combined with access logging
NDAs establish legal obligations while access logging provides an audit trail to detect and investigate unauthorized disclosures.
Question 6: What is 'two-person integrity' (TPI) as applied to personnel security?
- Requiring two managers to sign off on all hiring decisions
- A policy requiring two authorized individuals to be present for access to sensitive areas or materials (Correct answer)
- Having two security guards at every entrance
- Conducting background checks on employee pairs
Correct answer: A policy requiring two authorized individuals to be present for access to sensitive areas or materials
Two-person integrity requires that at least two authorized individuals are present when accessing sensitive areas or materials, reducing the risk of insider misconduct.
PSC Personnel Security & Insider Threats 1
What is the primary goal of a personnel security program in a physical security context?