Cover your ass security (also known as CYA security) is a term referring to the measures taken by people responsible for security to ensure safety, no matter the ineffectiveness, or proportionality, of the measures themselves. The reason is that those responsible for security often feel that they need to protect themselves from any subsequent criticism or repurcussions (which the “cover your ass” term refers to), and will go to extremes in order to convey the idea that they are doing their jobs as effectively as possible, no matter that the measures taken can sometimes border on the absurd.
Last updated: 3 October 2017