The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for SCIFs must be installed, maintained, and monitored by a single company.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not Applicable
• D. Not Sure

Answer: (A)

Consistent management of the IDS is essential because it creates a single point of accountability for how the SCIF’s monitoring system is installed, updated, and watched. When the same company handles installation, ongoing maintenance, and real-time monitoring, there’s a clear line of responsibility for configuration baselines, patching, and incident response. This reduces the risk of misconfigurations or gaps that can happen if different contractors manage different parts of the system, and it streamlines audits and compliance checks since one organization maintains the logs, the standards, and the response procedures. If multiple vendors were involved, conflicting configurations, uneven maintenance schedules, or delays in alert handling could occur, making it harder to detect and respond to intrusions quickly. By assigning all three duties to one company, the defense-in-depth posture remains cohesive, traceable, and consistent in operation and during investigations. The other options don’t fit because they imply ambiguity or lack of accountability, which SCIF security guidelines avoid.