# Physical and Environmental Protection Policy

**Template version:** 1.0.0 · **Baseline:** Moderate · **Edition:** Ready to adopt · **NIST basis:** SP 800-53 Rev. 5, release 5.2.0

*Tailor this template before adoption; it is not legal advice.* Latest version: <https://kston83.github.io/nist-guide/templates/policies/pe/>. Dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0 (<https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/>): adopt and change it without attribution.

## Purpose

This policy states what [Organization name] requires for Physical and Environmental Protection, and who is accountable for meeting those requirements. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Scope

This policy applies at the [Select one or more: organization-level; mission/business process-level; system-level. Typical: organization-level] to every system that [Organization name] owns or operates, or that is operated on its behalf, and to every person with access to those systems, including employees, contractors and partners. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Roles and responsibilities

- The [Facilities manager] is accountable for this policy and shall approve exceptions to it. (PE-1a.1(a))
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall manage the development, documentation and dissemination of this policy and its procedures. (PE-1b)
- Each [System owner] shall implement this policy for their system and document how in the system security plan. (PE-1a.1(a))
- Each person within scope shall follow this policy and report suspected violations to the [Facilities manager]. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Management commitment

The [Senior leader] approves this policy and shall provide the resources needed to implement it. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Coordination

The [Facilities manager] shall coordinate this policy with the legal, privacy, human resources and procurement functions, and with the owners of related policies, before each approval. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Compliance

- This policy shall be consistent with the laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines that apply to [Organization name], including [Fill in: laws, regulations and standards that apply to the organization]. (PE-1a.1(b))
- The [Facilities manager] shall review compliance with this policy through the organization's assessment and continuous monitoring activities. (PE-1a.1(a))
- An exception to this policy shall be requested in writing, approved by the [Facilities manager], time-limited and recorded with its compensating measures. (PE-1a.1(a))
- Violations of this policy shall be handled through the organization's sanctions process. (PE-1a.1(a))

## Procedures

The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall ensure that documented procedures exist to implement this policy and its associated controls. (PE-1a.2)

## Dissemination

- The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall disseminate this policy to [Fill in: personnel or roles to whom the physical and environmental protection policy is to be disseminated. Typical: everyone within its scope, through the policy library]. (PE-1a)
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall disseminate the procedures that implement this policy to [Fill in: personnel or roles to whom the physical and environmental protection procedures are to be disseminated. Typical: the people who carry them out, and the system owners]. (PE-1a)

## Policy statements

### Physical access authorizations (PE-2)

- The [Facilities manager] shall develop, approve and maintain a list of individuals with authorized access to each facility where the system resides, showing for each person the areas they may enter. (PE-2a)
- Physical access shall be granted only on a request from the individual's supervisor, approved by the [Facilities manager] and, for areas that contain system components, also by the [System owner]. (PE-2a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall issue an authorization credential, such as an identification badge or access card, to each individual on the list, and record the credential against their entry. (PE-2b)
- The [Facilities manager] shall review the access list detailing authorized facility access by individuals [Fill in: frequency at which to review the access list detailing authorized facility access by individuals. Typical: at least quarterly for areas that contain system components, such as data centers, server rooms, wiring closets and media storage areas, and at least annually for the rest of the facility], with the supervisors or area owners confirming that each person still needs the access. (PE-2c)
- The [Facilities manager] shall remove individuals from the facility access list, and disable their credentials, when access is no longer required, and for a termination within the time the Personnel Security Policy sets for disabling system access (PS-4). (PE-2d)
- When an individual transfers, the [Facilities manager] shall remove physical access the new position does not need as part of the transfer actions (PS-5). (PE-2d)

#### Federal systems

[FIPS 201-3](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/fips/201-3/final) (January 2022) defines the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card as the common identity credential for federal employees and contractors for access to federally controlled facilities and information systems (section 1.2), and requires the PIV Card to be terminated when, among other circumstances, a federal employee separates from federal service or a contractor no longer needs access to federal buildings or systems (section 2.9.4). As of October 2026.

- For federal employees and contractors who hold a PIV Card, the authorization credential for access to a federally controlled facility shall be that PIV Card, registered in the physical access control system; anyone else receives a temporary or visitor credential that cannot be mistaken for a PIV Card. (PE-2b)
- When a PIV Card is terminated under FIPS 201-3 section 2.9.4, the [Facilities manager] shall remove its registration from the physical access control system. (PE-2d)

### Physical access control (PE-3)

- The [Facilities manager] shall enforce physical access authorizations at [Fill in: entry and exit points to the facility in which the system resides. Typical: every entry and exit point of the facility, and of each area within it that contains system components] by verifying each individual's access authorization before granting access to the facility. (PE-3a.1)
- The [Facilities manager] shall control ingress and egress to the facility using [Select one or more: [Assignment: organization-defined systems or devices]; guards. Typical: an electronic physical access control system with badge readers at each controlled entry point, and guards or staffed reception at the main entrance during business hours]. (PE-3a.2)
- Each person shall badge in individually at controlled entry points and shall not hold a controlled door open for others; tailgating shall be reported to the [Facilities manager]. (PE-3a.2)
- The [Facilities manager] shall maintain physical access audit logs for [Fill in: entry or exit points for which physical access logs are maintained. Typical: every controlled entry point to the facility and to each area that contains system components], and protect them from alteration and unauthorized access (AU-9). (PE-3b)
- The [Facilities manager] shall control access to areas within the facility designated as publicly accessible by implementing [Fill in: physical access controls to control access to areas within the facility designated as publicly accessible. Typical: a staffed reception or guard post, locked or badge-controlled doors between public and non-public areas, and no unattended system components or live network jacks in public areas]. (PE-3c)
- Visitors shall be escorted, and their activity controlled, [Fill in: circumstances requiring visitor escorts and control of visitor activity. Typical: at all times in non-public areas, for every visitor and for anyone without a physical access authorization for the area, including maintenance personnel who are not on the authorized maintenance list]; the escort shall stay with the visitor until they leave the non-public area. (PE-3d)
- Visitor and temporary badges shall look different from permanent badges, shall be valid only for the day or the approved period, and shall be returned on departure. (PE-3d)
- The [Facilities manager] shall secure keys, combinations and other physical access devices, keeping unissued devices locked away and limiting knowledge of combinations to the people authorized to use them. (PE-3e)
- The [Facilities manager] shall inventory [Fill in: physical access devices to be inventoried. Typical: keys, lock combinations, and badges and access cards, including unissued, temporary and visitor badges] [Fill in: frequency at which to inventory physical access devices. Typical: at least annually], and investigate any device that cannot be accounted for. (PE-3f)
- The [Facilities manager] shall change combinations [Fill in: frequency at which to change combinations. Typical: at least annually], change keys [Fill in: frequency at which to change keys. Typical: at least every five years, and sooner when an inventory cannot account for an issued key], and change both when keys are lost, combinations are compromised, or individuals possessing the keys or combinations are transferred or terminated. (PE-3g)
- A lost or stolen badge or key shall be reported to the [Facilities manager] at once, and the badge disabled the same day. (PE-3g)

#### Federal systems

[FIPS 201-3](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/fips/201-3/final) (January 2022), section 6.3.1, lists the PIV authentication mechanisms for physical access and the assurance each provides, marks visual inspection (VIS) and SYM-CAK as deprecated, and states that "The selection of authentication assurance levels SHALL be made in accordance with the applicable policies for a facility's security level", pointing to the Interagency Security Committee's standard and to SP 800-116. [NIST SP 800-116 Rev. 1](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/116/r1/final) (June 2018), section 4.3, recommends a risk-based selection organized by Controlled, Limited and Exclusion areas, with a minimum of one, two and three authentication factors respectively (Table 4-3). The Interagency Security Committee's [The Risk Management Process: An Interagency Security Committee Standard](https://www.cisa.gov/publication/risk-management-process), 2024 Edition, states that it applies to federally owned or leased facilities regularly occupied by executive branch employees or contract workers for nonmilitary activities, and has the tenant make the final Facility Security Level (FSL) determination, from Level I to Level V (section 8.1.1). As of October 2026.

- The [Facilities manager] shall designate each area of a federally controlled facility as Controlled, Limited or Exclusion, consistent with the facility's FSL determination, and record the designation in the physical access list. (PE-3a)
- The physical access control system shall authenticate PIV Cards electronically, using mechanisms that provide at least one authentication factor for Controlled areas, two for Limited areas and three for Exclusion areas, as SP 800-116 Rev. 1 Table 4-3 recommends, and shall not rely on visual inspection of the card alone. (PE-3a.1)

### Access control for transmission (PE-4)

- The [Facilities manager] shall control physical access to [Fill in: system distribution and transmission lines requiring physical access controls. Typical: the network and telephone cabling, fiber, patch panels and wireless access points that carry the system's communications, and the wiring closets and cable runs that hold them] within organizational facilities using [Fill in: security controls to be implemented to control physical access to system distribution and transmission lines within the organizational facility. Typical: locked wiring closets and telecommunications rooms with access limited to authorized staff, cabling in conduit or enclosed cable trays where it passes through public or shared areas, and unused network jacks disconnected at the patch panel or disabled on the switch]. (PE-4)
- The [System owner] shall identify, in the system security plan, the distribution and transmission lines that serve the system and who controls the spaces they pass through, including spaces controlled by a landlord or provider. (PE-4)
- Wiring closets and telecommunications rooms shall be included in the physical access list, and entry to them recorded in the physical access logs. (PE-4)

### Access control for output devices (PE-5)

- The [System owner] and the [Facilities manager] shall control physical access to output from [Fill in: output devices that require physical access control to output. Typical: printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines in shared areas, and monitors that display information not approved for public release in areas visitors can see] to prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining the output. (PE-5)
- Shared printers and copiers that output information not approved for public release shall release a job only after the user authenticates at the device, or shall be placed in a room limited to authorized individuals. (PE-5)
- Monitors in reception and other areas visitors can see shall be positioned away from them or fitted with privacy filters. (PE-5)
- Users shall collect output promptly; uncollected output shall be removed and destroyed at least daily. (PE-5)

### Monitoring physical access (PE-6)

- The [Facilities manager] shall monitor physical access to the facility where the system resides, including publicly accessible areas, to detect and respond to physical security incidents. (PE-6a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall review physical access logs [Fill in: the frequency at which to review physical access logs. Typical: at least monthly] and upon occurrence of [Fill in: events or potential indication of events requiring physical access logs to be reviewed. Typical: a physical security incident or alarm, a lost or stolen badge or key, reported tailgating, access attempts outside normal working hours, and a request from the incident response team], looking for accesses outside normal working hours, repeated accesses to areas not normally accessed, accesses of unusual length and out-of-sequence accesses. (PE-6b)
- Each review shall be recorded with its date, the reviewer, the period covered and the anomalies found. (PE-6b)
- The [Facilities manager] shall coordinate the results of reviews and investigations with the [Incident response team], and report suspected physical security incidents under the incident response plan (IR-6). (PE-6c)

### Intrusion alarms and surveillance equipment (PE-6(1))

- The [Facilities manager] shall monitor physical access to the facility where the system resides using physical intrusion alarms and surveillance equipment. (PE-6(1))
- Intrusion alarms shall cover the facility's entry points and each area that contains system components when it is unoccupied, and shall alert guards, a monitoring service or designated staff who respond. (PE-6(1))
- Surveillance cameras shall cover the entry points to the facility and to each area that contains system components, and recordings shall be kept for the period the records schedule sets, with access limited to authorized staff. (PE-6(1))
- The [Facilities manager] shall test the alarms and check the cameras at least annually, and repair faults promptly. (PE-6(1))

### Visitor access records (PE-8)

- The [Facilities manager] shall maintain visitor access records to the facility where the system resides for [Fill in: time period for which to maintain visitor access records for the facility where the system resides. Typical: 2 years, or longer where the organization's records retention schedule requires]. (PE-8a)
- Each visitor record shall include the visitor's name and organization, the form of identification checked, the date, entry and departure times, the purpose of the visit, the name of the person visited, the badge issued and the escort, subject to the limits PE-8(3) sets where it applies. (PE-8a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall review visitor access records [Fill in: the frequency at which to review visitor access records. Typical: at least monthly], checking for visitors with no departure time, badges not returned, visits outside normal hours, repeated visits that suggest the person needs a PE-2 authorization instead, and visits without an escort. (PE-8b)
- The [Facilities manager] shall report anomalies in visitor access records to [Fill in: personnel to whom visitor access records anomalies are reported to. Typical: the facilities manager and the security operations team], and the security operations team shall handle any that suggest an incident under the incident response plan (IR-6). (PE-8c)

#### Federal systems

The National Archives and Records Administration's [General Records Schedule 5.6](https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs05-6.pdf), Security Management Records (GRS Transmittal 35, May 2024), covers visitor processing records, such as registers or logs of visitors, contractors and service personnel. Item 110, for areas requiring the highest level of security awareness, including areas the Interagency Security Committee designates as Facility Security Level V, says destroy when 5 years old; item 111, for all other facility security areas, including Facility Security Levels I to IV, says destroy when 2 years old. Both allow longer retention if required for business use. As of October 2026.

- Visitor access records shall be kept for at least 5 years for areas at Facility Security Level V and at least 2 years for other areas, as GRS 5.6 items 110 and 111 set, unless the agency's own approved records schedule sets a different period. (PE-8a)

### Power equipment and cabling (PE-9)

- The [Facilities manager] shall protect power equipment and power cabling for the system from damage and destruction. (PE-9)
- Power distribution units, uninterruptible power supplies, transfer switches and generators that serve the system shall be in locked rooms or enclosures with access limited to authorized staff, and outdoor equipment shall be fenced or otherwise protected from vehicles and tampering. (PE-9)
- Power cabling shall be routed and labeled so that it is protected from accidental damage, kept separate from data cabling where practical, and not run across walkways. (PE-9)
- Power equipment shall be maintained as the manufacturer specifies, and the maintenance recorded. (PE-9)

### Emergency shutoff (PE-10)

- The [Facilities manager] shall provide the capability of shutting off power to [Fill in: system or individual system components that require the capability to shut off power in emergency situations. Typical: the equipment in each data center and server room, including servers, storage, network equipment and their cooling] in emergency situations. (PE-10a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall place emergency shutoff switches or devices [Fill in: location of emergency shutoff switches or devices by system or system component. Typical: beside the main exit of each data center and server room, clearly labeled] to facilitate access for authorized personnel. (PE-10b)
- The [Facilities manager] shall protect the emergency power shutoff capability from unauthorized activation, with protective covers on the switches, placement inside the access-controlled area, and an alarm or camera that records activation. (PE-10c)
- Staff who work in those areas shall be shown the shutoff locations and told when to use them. (PE-10b)

### Emergency power (PE-11)

- The [Facilities manager] shall provide an uninterruptible power supply to facilitate [Select one: an orderly shutdown of the system; transition of the system to long-term alternate power. Typical: an orderly shutdown of the system] in the event of a primary power source loss. (PE-11)
- Where the contingency plan's recovery time objective cannot be met by restarting the system after primary power returns, the [Facilities manager] shall also provide long-term alternate power, such as a generator, to which the uninterruptible power supply transitions the system. (PE-11)
- The [System owner] shall configure the system's components to shut down in order, automatically where they support it, before the uninterruptible power supply's batteries are exhausted. (PE-11)
- The [Facilities manager] shall test the uninterruptible power supply and any generator at least annually, replace batteries as the manufacturer specifies, and confirm the runtime still covers the load. (PE-11)

### Emergency lighting (PE-12)

- The [Facilities manager] shall employ and maintain automatic emergency lighting for the system that activates in the event of a power outage or disruption and that covers emergency exits and evacuation routes within the facility. (PE-12)
- The [Facilities manager] shall test emergency lighting at least annually, and repair failures promptly. (PE-12)
- The [System owner] shall describe the emergency lighting provisions for the system in the contingency plan (CP-2). (PE-12)

### Fire protection (PE-13)

- The [Facilities manager] shall employ and maintain fire detection and suppression systems, supported by an independent energy source, that cover each area containing system components. (PE-13)
- Fire detection and suppression systems shall be inspected, tested and maintained as the applicable fire code and the manufacturer require, and the records kept. (PE-13)
- Where the suppression system could itself damage equipment, such as water sprinklers in a server room, the [Facilities manager] shall record the choice and the reason, with the system owner's agreement. (PE-13)

### Detection systems — automatic activation and notification (PE-13(1))

- The [Facilities manager] shall employ fire detection systems that activate automatically and notify [Fill in: personnel or roles to be notified in the event of a fire. Typical: the facilities manager and the operations staff on duty for the facility] and [Fill in: emergency responders to be notified in the event of a fire. Typical: the local fire department, through a monitored fire alarm service] in the event of a fire. (PE-13(1))
- The notification path shall have power independent of the facility's main supply, and shall be tested with the fire detection system. (PE-13(1))

### Environmental controls (PE-14)

- The [Facilities manager] shall maintain [Select one or more: temperature; humidity; pressure; radiation; [Assignment: organization-defined environmental control]. Typical: temperature and humidity] levels within the facility where the system resides at [Fill in: acceptable levels for environmental controls. Typical: the operating ranges the equipment manufacturers specify, recorded in the system security plan]. (PE-14a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall monitor environmental control levels [Fill in: frequency at which to monitor environmental control levels. Typical: continuously, with automated alerts when a level leaves its range]. (PE-14b)
- Alerts shall go to staff who can respond at any hour, and an alert that is not resolved within the time the contingency plan allows shall start the contingency plan's notification procedures (CP-2). (PE-14b)
- Cooling for areas that contain system components shall run independently of the building's office schedule, with enough capacity or redundancy that the loss of one unit does not take the room out of range. (PE-14a)

### Water damage protection (PE-15)

- The [Facilities manager] shall protect the system from damage resulting from water leakage by providing master shutoff or isolation valves that are accessible, working properly, and known to key personnel. (PE-15)
- The valves shall be labeled, shown on a facility plan kept with the contingency plan, kept clear of obstructions, and exercised at least annually. (PE-15)
- Key personnel, including the staff who work in areas that contain system components, shall be shown the valve locations and how to operate them. (PE-15)
- Water pipes shall not run above system components where it can be avoided; where they do, the [Facilities manager] shall record the risk and the protection used, such as drip trays or leak detection. (PE-15)

### Delivery and removal (PE-16)

- The [Facilities manager] shall authorize and control [Fill in: types of system components to be authorized and controlled when entering the facility. Typical: all system components, including servers, network devices, storage devices and media, and end-user devices such as laptops] entering the facility, receiving them only in a delivery area that is separated from areas that contain system components and media libraries. (PE-16a)
- Arriving components shall be checked against the purchase order or shipping record and for signs of tampering before they are moved out of the delivery area, and reported under the incident response plan if they show any. (PE-16a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall authorize and control [Fill in: types of system components to be authorized and controlled when exiting the facility. Typical: all system components, including servers, network devices, storage devices and media, and end-user devices such as laptops] exiting the facility, letting a component leave only with the [System owner]'s approval and, for a component with storage, a record that its media were sanitized or removed (MA-2, MP-6). (PE-16a)
- The [Facilities manager] shall maintain records of the system components entering and exiting the facility: the item and serial number, the date, who delivered or carried it, who authorized it, and where it went. (PE-16b)
- Laptops and other devices issued to individuals may leave and return with their assigned user without a record of each trip, as long as they are recorded in the component inventory against that user. (PE-16a)

### Alternate work site (PE-17)

- The [Chief Information Security Officer] shall determine and document [Fill in: alternate work sites allowed for use by employees. Typical: employees' homes, under an approved telework agreement, and other organization facilities] as the alternate work sites allowed for use by employees, and the [Supervisor] shall approve each employee's use of them. (PE-17a)
- The following controls shall be employed at alternate work sites: [Fill in: controls to be employed at alternate work sites. Typical: organization-issued devices, or personally owned devices the organization has approved and manages under its external system terms (AC-19, AC-20), connected through the approved remote access methods (AC-17), with full-disk encryption and screen lock (AC-11); a workspace where screens and conversations are not overseen or overheard; paper and media kept secured and not left unattended; and no printing of information not approved for public release on personal printers]. (PE-17b)
- The [Chief Information Security Officer] shall assess the effectiveness of controls at alternate work sites at least annually, through an employee self-assessment and the device compliance data from endpoint management, and act on the gaps found. (PE-17c)
- The [Chief Information Security Officer] shall provide a means for employees at alternate work sites to communicate with information security and privacy personnel in case of incidents, available at all hours, and employees shall report incidents through it as the Rules of Behavior require (IR-6). (PE-17d)

#### Federal systems

Under [5 U.S.C. § 6502](https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/5/6502?link-type=html), each executive agency's telework policy must require a written agreement between an agency manager and each employee authorized to telework, outlining the specific work arrangement, which is mandatory for any employee to telework (subsection (b)(2)); must be part of the agency's continuity of operations plans (subsection (b)(5)); and must enumerate when employees may temporarily work from approved overseas locations (subsection (b)(6)). Text checked in the United States Code, 2024 edition, as of October 2026.

- No employee shall telework without the written telework agreement 5 U.S.C. § 6502(b)(2) requires, and the agreement shall reference the alternate work site controls in this policy. (PE-17a)
- Work from an overseas location shall be allowed only in the circumstances the agency's telework policy enumerates under 5 U.S.C. § 6502(b)(6). (PE-17a)

## Review and update

- The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall review and update this policy [Fill in: the frequency at which the current physical and environmental protection policy is reviewed and updated. Typical: annually] and following [Fill in: events that would require the current physical and environmental protection policy to be reviewed and updated. Typical: assessment or audit findings, security incidents or breaches, and changes in applicable laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards or guidelines]. (PE-1c.1)
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the physical and environmental protection policy and procedures. Typical: facilities manager] shall review and update the procedures that implement this policy [Fill in: the frequency at which the current physical and environmental protection procedures are reviewed and updated. Typical: annually] and following [Fill in: events that would require the physical and environmental protection procedures to be reviewed and updated. Typical: the same events as the policy, and changes to the systems, tools or services the procedures describe]. (PE-1c.2)

### Federal systems

For federal information systems, this policy also carries out the agency's information security responsibilities under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 ([44 U.S.C. § 3554](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title44-section3554&num=0&edition=prelim), Federal agency responsibilities) and [OMB Circular A-130](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/circulars/A130/a130revised.pdf), Appendix I, Responsibilities for Protecting and Managing Federal Information Resources.

- Where the agency's organization-wide policy sets a value for a parameter in this policy, each system shall use that value or a stricter one. (PE-1a.1(b))