What is an example of a physical safeguard?

Data backup and storage are prime examples of physical safeguards because they involve tangible measures needed to protect sensitive information from physical threats such as disasters, theft, or equipment failures. This safeguarding process ensures that essential data is preserved and can be recovered if lost or compromised, which is fundamental in maintaining the integrity and availability of health information.

While unique user identification is an administrative safeguard aimed at controlling access to sensitive information, and contingency planning and policies and procedures fall within organizational practices designed to ensure compliance and operational functionality, they do not directly represent physical measures. Physical safeguards specifically pertain to the tangible controls and protection mechanisms in place to safeguard devices and physical environments where sensitive data is stored or used.