Which COMSEC component includes secure storage, limited access, life-cycle accountability, and irretrievable destruction?

• A. Operational Security
• B. Physical Security
• C. Personnel Security
• D. Information Security

Answer: (B)

The correct answer is Physical Security because it encompasses measures related to the safeguarding of physical assets and the environments in which sensitive information is processed or stored. Secure storage is a key aspect, ensuring that important materials, such as keying material or classified documents, are kept in controlled areas. Limited access refers to the physical restrictions placed on who can enter those secure areas, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive material. Life-cycle accountability indicates that there are processes in place to track the existence and usage of these materials throughout their lifecycle, from creation to destruction. Finally, irretrievable destruction ensures that sensitive information is not just deleted but physically destroyed to prevent unauthorized retrieval.

In contrast, operational security focuses on protecting sensitive activities from being observed, personnel security is about ensuring that individuals with access to sensitive information are trustworthy, and information security is more concerned with protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information itself, rather than the physical elements surrounding it.