| Have you ever entered a familiar room and felt that | | | | the front door to our home. |
| something was out of place but could not quite put | | | | As we work to acknowledge our senses and |
| your finger on it? | | | | categorize the stimuli correctly, we begin to increase |
| Did curiosity win out causing you to enter the room | | | | our security posture and enhance our well-being. |
| in an attempt to uncover the mystery? Consider the | | | | 2. Now, for those individuals who need a little boost |
| following the next time this occurs. | | | | or advantage in this area, there are some simple |
| 1. No matter how careful an intruder is, he is bound | | | | tricks practiced by security-minded professionals. |
| to leave something disturbed that a security minded | | | | They are referred to as Traps. Traps involve |
| person will seize upon on immediately. It may be as | | | | prearranging items in a manner known only to the |
| subtle as tracking fresh grass clippings to the | | | | person who sets them. For example, personal items |
| threshold of your front door, clearly you would never | | | | in a hotel room may be laid out in a pattern you |
| leave such a mess, or, perhaps the presence of a | | | | establish prior to heading out for the afternoon |
| foreign fragrance that is not your own. In each | | | | meeting, or an evening meal. Should you return to |
| instance, your senses are working overtime and with | | | | your room and notice the pattern has been |
| practice, you can learn not to ignore them. The first | | | | disturbed, alarms bells sound indicating that someone |
| step involves the understanding that we adapt to our | | | | has been in the room during your absence, or worse, |
| environment, and this adaptation is an instrument of | | | | is lurking in the closet or bathroom. Who among us |
| our survival. From use of our senses we are able | | | | hasn't seen the savvy foreign agent, dressed in his |
| interpret sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. Once | | | | tux, pluck a strand of hair from his head and tack it |
| stimuli is identified, we process the information and | | | | skillfully across the door frame before heading to the |
| place it into two categories, Threat and non-Threat. | | | | hotel casino? |
| A problem occurs when we are unable to recognize | | | | These simple security practices can be applied at |
| stimuli or we improperly categorize the information, | | | | home as well. The Trap can be as intricate as you |
| e.g. the fresh grass clippings at the threshold. Clearly, | | | | like. However, simple traps work best and should |
| in this instance we must conclude that someone | | | | employ redundancy. |
| unbeknownst to us has waltzed across our freshly | | | | Try it, and remember the next time something |
| manicured lawn and has at least proceeded as far as | | | | seems out of place it probably is. Be Safe! |