CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.10.07Physical protection

CPCSC Level 2 03.10.07: Physical Access Control

Apply physical access control to protect facilities, work sites, transmission paths, and physical access to systems and media for CPCSC Level 2 readiness. This guide separates the official ITSP.10.171 control language from practical implementation, evidence, auditor questions, and related controls.

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Formal Control Language

Official ITSP.10.171 wording for 03.10.07. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Enforce physical access authorizations at entry and exit points to the facility where the system resides by: verifying individual physical access authorizations before granting access to the facility
  • controlling ingress and egress with physical access control systems, devices or guards
  • Maintain physical access audit logs for entry or exit points
  • Escort visitors and control visitor activity
  • Secure keys, combinations, and other physical access devices
  • Control physical access to output devices to prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining access to specified information

Contains information sourced from Government of Canada material used under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

What This Means In Plain English

Physical Access Control is part of the CPCSC Level 2 Physical protection family. This is about making physical access controls match the sensitivity of systems, media, transmission points, and alternate work locations.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether physical access control is visible in real operating evidence: a setting, workflow, ticket, log, approval, review, or exception record that can survive an external assessment.

Level 2 is different from Level 1 because the evidence has to survive an external assessment. A policy statement helps, but the stronger answer is a record that shows who did the work, when it ran, what system setting or workflow enforced it, and how exceptions were handled.

How To Implement It

1

Define the in-scope systems, owners, users, vendors, and data flows affected by physical access control.

2

Define restricted areas, approve access, monitor entry, control visitors, protect transmission paths, and document alternate work site expectations.

3

Translate the formal requirement into one or two operating procedures: who performs it, how often, where it is recorded, and who approves exceptions.

4

Configure the relevant systems so the control is enforced by identity, endpoint, cloud, network, ticketing, monitoring, vendor, or documentation workflows rather than memory.

5

Keep evidence in a consistent folder, GRC system, ticket queue, or audit workspace so an assessor can trace the control from requirement to implementation to review.

Evidence Normally Gathered

Physical Access Control: facility access lists.

Physical Access Control: visitor logs.

Physical Access Control: badge reports.

Physical Access Control: alternate work agreements.

Physical Access Control: physical security diagrams.

Physical Access Control: transmission path controls.

Physical Access Control: owner assignment and review cadence.

Physical Access Control: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is physical access control implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns physical access control, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves physical access control ran during the assessment period.

What happens when physical access control fails, is bypassed, or has an exception?

How does this control connect to the system security plan, risk register, POA&M, and related CPCSC controls?

Sources

Source and attribution.

Formal control language is sourced from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security ITSP.10.171 publication. CPCSC Level 2 assessment context references the Government of Canada CPCSC program overview and ITSP.10.171-01 assessment guidance.

CPCSC Program OverviewITSP.10.171ITSP.10.171-01Open Government Licence - Canada