SecurityAdvisoryCouncil.com
Security Risk Analysis - Issues - Strategies - Solutions - Resources
Security Risk Advisory Consultants - Advanced Security Planning
Security MostWanted For America!
Safety & Security Issues - Strategies - Solutions
PERSONAL SECURITY
Security Watch Education For Our Physical Protection
TOP 5 PERSONAL SECURITY TIPS
Our top 5 personal security tips highlight's 5 strategies of observation, body language, self-protection, access control and physical security used by special forces and professional bodyguards world-wide which can be incorporated into your everyday personal protection and safety plan. These security tips will benefit individual male and females and their children. They are also useful for any one running a business employing staff.
To understand the concept of personal security is to live your life free from most of the daily security concerns that many people have to contend with. The highest percentage of people amble through their lives in what security experts call Condition White. Our top 5 personal security tips should elevate you through the security color code system and place you in a position to minimize the security risks to you, your family and your business partners and associates.
#1- Observation.
SecurityAdvisoryCouncil.com has researched and studied some of the very best security specialists in our network who are professionally trained bodyguards. We are not talking about muscle bound knuckle draggers who eke out a living ensuring the safety of night club revelers. We are talking about professional bodyguards who have been highly trained in close protection skills specifically designed to protect high income generating VIP's, high-officials and celebrities.
We have researched and provided here in our website a network of specialists, some who have been training professional close protection officers internationally for close to 20 years. Some of the very best intelligence we provide for is in observation skills, followed by further specialized information in observation solutions. Whether we like to admit it or not, human beings are predators. Predators by definition have great observation skills.
As the human race has evolved from club wielding cavemen into a generally more peaceful existence, most human beings have never really utilized their observation skills beyond normal day to day usage.
Our research into professional security personnel reveal that they have developed and maintain dynamic observation skills which is a key for you to provide above average protection for your personal security. Once you learn to observe what is happening around you, you will be able to implement and practice suitable counter measures to avoid dangerous security risks to your physical person.
#2- Body Language
International security and intelligence forces have been training their covert operatives for many years in the science of body language. Unlike most sciences, body language is still considered unconventional in many academic circles. From a physical protection perspective, understanding body language is akin to having a get out of jail free card. When utilized with advanced observation skills recognizing key aspects of a potential attacker's body language, you can give yourself a definite edge in any dangerous encounter. You can learn and have professional security for yourself, your loved ones and business associates and certainly be a specialists and expert in body language that will surely protect you from dangerous individuals out there looking for an opportunity to do you, your loved ones or business associates, harm.
#3- Self Protection
As descendants of dinosaur hunting predators we all have a self protection gene buried somewhere deep inside us. For many of us, our brain and body are finely tuned to elements of danger. The problem is most of us fail to realize we posses this very valuable attribute. Self protection can be explained by the mention of the phrase gut feeling.
Whenever you meet someone who you feel uncomfortable being close to, you would mention to a friend that you had a gut feeling about that person. It's the same thing when you are walking in a strange area and you get a gut feeling that something isn't quite right, so you turn around and go back. This is your self protection 'gut feeling' in action. Scientists often refer to this concept as the fight or flight syndrome. You can study and learn yourself to be a professional security specialists which will help to protect you when self-protection instincts kick in.
Nine times out of ten your gut feeling is right so don't ignore this self protection personal security tip. Make sure you are aware when your gut feeling instinct is evident to you or kicks in.
#4- Access Control
Our research and study of many security experts worth their salt will inform you that the highest percentage of security problems are defeated by maintaining good access control systems. In relation to the top 5 personal security tips access control means minimizing access to anyone or anything that may harm you or your loved ones. For example. You are a female who strikes up a conversation with a male co-worker. This man misreads your initial friendship and stalks you. You must immediately implement stringent access control measures. This person may not even realize he is stalking you, however stalkers crave one thing above all else, control. To gain control over you he has to have access to you. Your aim should be to implement counter stalking strategies and solutions to minimize and then eradicate his access control. In no circumstances should you continue talking to this person, in person, by telephone, text, e-mail, letters etc. You can certainly learn how to be an expert and a professional and put into place access control measures to solve this issue with careful study and action..
#5- Physical Security
After careful and intense study, we know many of you can be trained in special forces tactics and close protection procedures. Many of the officers we researched and studied have been trained in 42 different countries across four continents. One thing that sets these people up above their peers in other military and security agencies is their advanced levels of confidence. The reason for this confidence which many opponents foolishly mistake for arrogance is their advanced levels of specialized training.
A good percentage of this training focuses on their own physical security. Many of these experts have participated in martial arts, which has increased there level of confidence by default. We have learned many of these experts have extreme confidence in the extensive rigorous training that they have participated in to provide the necessary physical security when needed. Your commitment to do the same can also be just as rewarding for you, your loved ones and business associates. This training has resulted in them being a willing hard target to would be attackers and you can join them as well. Most attackers are cowards who seek soft targets. You can learn to constantly practice for as well to be become some of the hardest targets on the planet.
Although every security expert will inform you there is no such concept as 100% security, utilizing and being aware of these top 5 personal security tips will help increase your personal security awareness and reduce the likelihood of you being targeted for attack when one of our security experts are not around.
PLEASE FEEL FREE to go through our website to find out how we can help you learn to start protecting you, your loved ones and business associates by dedicating yourself to learning, researching and studying to protect your life from harm!
Self-Defense Techniques
Effective self-defense focuses on using your body, voice, and surroundings to escape or incapacitate a threat. For those without formal training, the priority is creating space to run and targeting vulnerable areas of an attacker's body.
Use your body
These techniques focus on surprise and leverage, making them effective regardless of your size or strength. The goal is not to overpower but to shock the attacker and create an opportunity to escape.
Instead of specific strikes, consider focusing on actions that can create an opportunity to escape:
Target vulnerable areas: If a physical response is necessary, aim for areas that can cause pain or disorientation, such as the legs or midsection, to give you a chance to get away.
Leverage for escapes: If an attacker grabs you, focus on using leverage and movement to break their hold and create space.
Use your voice and surroundings
Your physical moves should be a last resort. Using your voice and being aware of your surroundings are powerful defensive tools that can often prevent a physical confrontation.
Verbal and psychological tactics
Yell assertively: Shouting loudly and clearly can startle an attacker and draw the attention of others. Most attackers prefer to operate unnoticed.
Create a scene: Making noise or drawing attention to the situation can make an attacker uncomfortable and more likely to disengage.
Improvised tools
Utilize everyday objects: Common items like keys, pens, or a water bottle can be used to create distance or provide a momentary distraction.
Create a barrier: Use available objects like a jacket, bag, or furniture to put space between you and a potential threat.
Practice and Training
While these general principles can be helpful, the most effective way to learn self-defense is through professional instruction.
Enrolling in a self-defense class or martial arts program can teach you proper technique, timing, and how to react effectively under stress.
Professional training provides a safe environment to practice and build the skills needed to defend yourself.
Common Challenges Creating
And Using Threat Assessment Plans
Common challenges in creating and using threat assessment plans stem from limited resources, organizational resistance, and difficulties with complex information and ethics. These issues can undermine a plan's effectiveness, leading to a false sense of security or biased outcomes.
Resource and implementation challenges
Insufficient resources: Many organizations, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, lack the financial and human resources to conduct comprehensive assessments. Threat assessment can be labor-intensive, and understaffed teams may become overwhelmed, especially with high volumes of reports.
Limited expertise: The specialized skills needed for a full threat assessment are often not available in-house, leaving organizations vulnerable to critical oversights.
Internal resistance: Employees and even departments may resist the process, viewing it as an unnecessary burden or fearing that revealing weaknesses will expose them to blame.
Technology gaps: Many organizations still rely on analog, paper-based systems, which makes it difficult to manage complex cases, share information across teams, and identify emerging patterns.
Information and process challenges
Incomplete or outdated data: Assessments are often based on incomplete, outdated, or unreliable data, which can lead to inaccurate risk evaluations and flawed decisions.
Evolving threats: Threats change rapidly, especially in cybersecurity and online spaces. A threat assessment treated as a one-time event quickly becomes obsolete.
Information-sharing difficulties: In multi-agency or cross-departmental teams, legal and procedural obstacles, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), can impede information sharing.
Subjective bias: In the context of school or workplace violence, decision-making can be influenced by subjective bias related to race, disability, or personal feelings. This can lead to disproportionately negative consequences for certain individuals.
False threats: The proliferation of false or hoax threats, especially online, can drain resources and cause unnecessary panic.
Deciphering the line between a casual remark and a serious threat is often difficult and can lead to overreaction or underestimation.
Communication and ethical challenges
Ineffective communication: The findings of a threat assessment may be communicated poorly to stakeholders, causing delays in mitigation and undermining risk insights.
Difficulty measuring success: It is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of a threat assessment program, as success is often measured by the absence of a negative event. This can make it hard to secure continued funding and buy-in.
Navigating privacy concerns: Collecting and sharing data for threat intelligence raises privacy issues, requiring a careful balance between safety and individual rights.
Risk of "mission creep": A threat assessment process can sometimes expand beyond its initial scope and be used to address broader social or educational issues, diverting it from its primary purpose of preventing violence.
Conducting A Physical
Security Threat Assessment
A physical security threat assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of a facility's physical security measures, policies, and procedures to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities. By identifying potential threats—including criminal acts, natural disasters, and insider threats—an organization can prioritize risks and implement mitigation strategies to protect personnel, assets, and information.
The assessment process
A physical security threat assessment is not a one-time event; it's an ongoing process that adapts to evolving threats and organizational changes.
1. Define the scope
Clearly define the boundaries and objectives of the assessment. This includes identifying the critical assets to be protected, such as people, buildings, inventory, and sensitive data, and the specific sites to be evaluated.
2. Identify threats
Assessors identify and categorize potential threats by analyzing internal and external factors. Examples of threats include:
External threats: Criminal activity (theft, vandalism), terrorism, and civil unrest.
Environmental threats: Natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, and extreme weather.
Insider threats: Risks posed by current or former employees who may exploit their access to cause harm.
Operational disruptions: Anything that could interrupt critical business operations, such as utility outages.
3. Conduct a vulnerability assessment
This step involves evaluating existing security measures to find exploitable weaknesses. A thorough review often includes:
Site inspection: A physical walk-through of the facility and surrounding area to inspect entry points, lighting, and landscaping.
Security system audit: An evaluation of security technology, such as surveillance cameras, access control systems, alarms, and electronic locks.
Review of procedures: An assessment of security policies, visitor logs, emergency response plans, and employee training.
Personnel interviews: Discussions with employees and management to gain insights into their security concerns and awareness.
4. Analyze risk
Analyze the identified risks by considering both the likelihood of a threat occurring and its potential impact. A meteor strike, for example, has a high potential impact but is extremely unlikely, whereas theft is a persistent, more probable risk for a retail store. The analysis helps an organization prioritize which risks to address first.
5. Develop mitigation strategies
Based on the risk analysis, create a plan to implement security upgrades and new procedures. Recommendations may include:
Security upgrades: Installing better lighting, cameras, or fences.
Procedural changes: Improving access control procedures or security patrols.
Emergency plans: Developing or updating response plans for specific scenarios like natural disasters or workplace violence.
Training: Providing security awareness training for all employees.
6. Report and monitor
Document all findings, recommendations, and the rationale behind your priorities in a comprehensive report.
After implementing new security measures, establish a process for regular review and updates to ensure their continued effectiveness.
Who conducts the assessment?
Organizations can perform physical security assessments in-house, but many choose to engage specialized security consultants for a more objective and thorough evaluation.
Third-party experts can offer a fresh perspective and insights from their broader industry experience.
Through a Rapist's Eyes (No Joke)
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3) They also look for women on their mobile phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking, because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4) The time of day men are most likely to attack and rape a woman is in the early morning, between 5 and 8:30 a.m.
5) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location, where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
6) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3 - 5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15 - 20 years.
7) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
8) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
9) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in a lift or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk, "I can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter". Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up, you lose appeal as a target.
10) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell "Stop" or "Stay back!" Most of the rapists talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
Keep yourself safe this party season!
