Deterrence vs detection: which best describes deterrence in security design?

• A. Deterrence aims to prevent wrongdoing.
• B. Detection identifies that an incident is occurring and prompts a response.
• C. Deterrence and detection have identical purposes.
• D. Detection is irrelevant to security design.

Answer: (C)

Deterrence in security design is about preventing wrongdoing before it happens. It works by shaping the decision of potential offenders, making the act seem too risky, costly, or unlikely to succeed. This can come from visible measures, penalties, and credible, timely consequences that discourage an attempt in the first place.

Detection, by contrast, is about recognizing that an incident is occurring or has occurred and triggering a response. It does not prevent the act; it identifies it so you can stop it, investigate, and recover.

So the best framing of deterrence is that it aims to prevent wrongdoing. The other ideas mix up prevention with identification and response, or dismiss detection as irrelevant, which doesn’t align with how security is designed to work.