Which of the Following Is a Technical Security

If you’re seeing the multiple-choice question “Which of the following is a technical security?” the answer key is pretty direct: Passwords. In HIPAA, technical security is about the *technology* (and the related policies/procedures) that help protect electronic protected health information (often shortened to ePHI).

Which of the following is a technical security? (Multiple-choice answer: Passwords)

Correct answer: _Passwords_

A password is a built-in way to control access to systems and data. It works by requiring the right person to prove they’re allowed before they can view or use ePHI. That’s “technical” because it’s tied to how the system itself restricts access.

If you’re comparing this to other answer choices that often show up in the same kind of quiz, here’s how they’re usually sorted:

• Passwords → Technical (part of how access to ePHI is controlled)
• Training → Administrative (focused on human process and education)
• Locked media storage cases → Physical (focused on where media is kept and secured)
• Designating a security officer → Administrative (focused on roles and responsibilities)

What “technical security” means in the HIPAA context

HIPAA describes technical safeguards as the technology and related policies and procedures that protect ePHI.

So when a quiz says technical security, it’s usually pointing you to things that do one (or both) of these jobs:

1. Control how ePHI is accessed or used (often with system requirements)
2. Protect ePHI when it’s moving or being handled by systems (again, through technology and the rules that go with it)

The phrase “technology + related policies/procedures” matters. It means you shouldn’t look only for gadgets. You also look for security steps that connect to how the system works and what the organization requires around that system.

HIPAA technical safeguards: the categories you’ll see listed

On HIPAA study materials, the technical safeguards categories named in the snippets are:

• Access Control
• Audit Controls
• Integrity
• Person or Entity Authentication
• Transmission

These are the main buckets for what technology and related procedures should cover. For example, “Access Control” limits who can access ePHI. “Transmission” protects ePHI while it’s being sent. “Person or Entity Authentication” confirms who (or what system) is allowed.

When a quiz asks what counts as technical security, it’s often testing whether you recognize protections in one of these categories.

Why training is not a technical security (administrative vs technical)

Training is a common distractor.

Training can improve security in real life, but on HIPAA quizzes it’s usually treated as administrative because it’s about people and process. It covers things like teaching staff what to do, what to watch for, and how to follow the rules.

So if a multiple-choice question lists Training alongside Passwords, the quiz is testing whether you can tell the difference between:

• Technical safeguards = technology + related policies/procedures that protect ePHI
• Administrative safeguards = steps that manage people and operations (like education)

That’s why training is not the technical security answer for the prompt you’re studying.

Why locked media storage cases are not technical security (physical vs technical)

Another common distractor is locked media storage cases.

This is usually treated as physical because it’s about physical protection. It’s about where paper or other media is stored, and whether it’s physically locked up.

A simple way to test these options:

• If it sounds like a location or a physical lock for something that holds data, it’s usually physical.
• If it sounds like a system control such as user access, logins, authentication, or secure transmission, it’s usually technical.

On a quiz that asks for technical security, locked media storage cases shouldn’t be your pick.

Which of the following is not an example of a technical safeguard in HIPAA?

Using the common distractors that match what you’ve been shown in the snippets:

• Training is treated as not a technical security/safeguard because it’s administrative and focused on people.
• Locked media storage cases are treated as physical, not technical.

So if the question is asking for the “not an example” choice, Training is the best match for “not technical.”

In quiz terms: if an answer choice is about teaching or education, it’s typically administrative, not technical.

How to use the “technical vs administrative vs physical” distinction on quizzes

If you want a quick approach that doesn’t require overthinking, sort each option based on what it’s mainly about:

Technical (technology + related rules)

Choose this when the option is about how systems protect ePHI, for example:

• Passwords (access and authentication)
• Anything that describes access rules built into software or system behavior
• Options that match technical safeguard categories like Access Control or Transmission

Administrative (people/roles/processes)

Choose this when the option is about humans and how the organization runs:

• Training
• Designating a security officer (a role/responsibility)

Physical (where/how stuff is stored or locked)

Choose this when the option is about physical protection:

• Locked media storage cases

For timed quizzes, this shortcut usually helps:

• Technical = systems
• Administrative = people and policies
• Physical = locations and locks

Quick recap: technical security vs technical safeguards vs technical safeguard examples

• Technical security (the answer to your prompt): Passwords
• What HIPAA means by technical safeguards: the technology and related policies and procedures that protect ePHI
• Technical safeguards categories you’ll see listed: Access Control, Audit Controls, Integrity, Person or Entity Authentication, Transmission
• Training is not technical: it’s administrative
• Locked media storage cases are not technical: they’re physical

If you’re studying HIPAA basics for a quiz, use this to classify technical vs administrative vs physical safeguards. Once you do that, “which of the following” questions usually become much easier.