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Governance, Risk, Audit & Privacy · Foundational

Operational Control

Control category primarily implemented and executed by people rather than systems.

Definition

Operational controls include security awareness training, configuration management procedures, guard patrols, and incident handling performed by staff. They support day-to-day security operations. They differ from managerial controls, which oversee the program, and technical controls, which systems enforce.

Example

Security guards checking IDs at the lobby are an operational control.

Exam tip

If people carry it out daily, it is operational; if a system enforces it, it is technical.

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