Technical safeguards are defined as

• A. the automated processes used to protect data and control access to data
• B. the physical barriers surrounding equipment
• C. manual procedures for handling records
• D. the organizational policies for security training

Answer: (A)

Technical safeguards refer to the automated, technical measures that protect electronic data and control access to it. This includes systems and processes like access control (authenticating users and enforcing permissions), encryption for data at rest and in transit, audit controls that log who accessed or changed information, data integrity checks, and secure transmission mechanisms. These are the automated controls that protect data without relying on manual human actions.

The other options describe different types of safeguards. Physical safeguards involve tangible barriers and protections for hardware and facilities. Manual procedures are administrative or procedural controls that rely on people rather than automated systems. Organizational policies for security training also fall under administrative safeguards, focusing on governance and awareness rather than the automated protection of data.