What are the two primary purposes of physical security?

The primary purposes of physical security encompass both protection and prevention. Protection refers to the measures implemented to safeguard assets, such as personnel, facilities, and information, against unauthorized access and potential threats. This can involve physical barriers, security personnel, surveillance systems, and various other methods designed to keep people and assets secure.

Prevention, on the other hand, focuses on identifying and mitigating risks before they lead to actual security breaches or incidents. This proactive aspect of physical security aims to deter unauthorized individuals from attempting to compromise security measures through visible deterrents and strategic planning.

Together, these two components ensure a comprehensive approach to maintaining safety and safeguarding valuable resources. The effectiveness of physical security largely hinges on an organization's ability to not only respond to potential threats but also to minimize their occurrence in the first place. This makes protection and prevention essential elements in any physical security strategy.

The other options, while relevant to various aspects of security, do not encapsulate the primary purposes as effectively. For instance, concepts like security in depth and area security pertain to specific strategies and methodologies rather than overarching purposes. Similarly, detection, while crucial, is more aligned with the monitoring and response aspect, rather than the fundamental goals tied to the reasons for establishing physical security measures.