What is a Preventive Control?

A preventive control is used to keep a loss or an error from occurring. These controls are typically integrated into a process, so that they are applied on a continual basis. They are especially common when the severity of a loss is considered to be quite high, so that their imposition will lower the probability of any loss ever occurring. Preventive controls are considered to be proactive, since they keep problems from arising in the first place.

Examples of Preventive Controls

Examples of preventive controls are segregated duties and the physical protection of assets (such as locking the door to the server room and storing cash in a safe). Another common preventive control is a requirement for an authorized person to approve certain activities in advance. Yet another preventive control is the access control, such as a password to access a software module, or an employee badge to gain access to a restricted area. A final preventive control is the use of detailed screening of recruits, so that those with questionable backgrounds are never hired in the first place.