In Staying Safe , Juval Aviv, a counterterrorism expert and international security consultant, outlines the essential tools for becoming personally responsible for the security and safety of yourself and your loved ones. You will learn how to safeguard your home and office, protect your identity, and travel without fear. Most important, you'll find that Aviv's recommendations and warnings are practical and easy to follow. Juval Aviv neither overstates nor minimizes today's threats, whether they are from criminals or terrorists; instead he sets out to inform and provide real advice for minimizing risks. Staying Safe is clear, comprehensive, and full of instructive and vital tips that cover: Flying with confidence - Traveling to a foreign country - Identifying a potential terrorist threat - Basic safety precautions - Survival and escape strategies - Securing your business - Keeping your identity confidential - Making transactions on the Internet - And much more In Staying Safe , Juval Aviv, a counterterrorism expert and international security consultant, outlines the essential tools for becoming personally responsible for the security and safety of yourself and your loved ones. You will learn how to safeguard your home and office, protect your identity, and travel without fear. Most important, you'll find that Aviv's recommendations and warnings are practical and easy to follow. Juval Aviv neither overstates nor minimizes today's threats, whether they are from criminals or terrorists; instead he sets out to inform and provide real advice for minimizing risks. Staying Safe is clear, comprehensive, and full of instructive and vital tips that cover: Flying with confidence - Traveling to a foreign country - Identifying a potential terrorist threat - Basic safety precautions - Survival and escape strategies - Securing your business - Keeping your identity confidential - Making transactions on the Internet - And much more Juval Aviv is the President and CEO of Interfor, Inc., an international investigative and intelligence firm that works with corporations, both domestically and internationally, on asset and personnel security measures. Mr. Aviv also serves as a special consultant to the U.S. Congress on issues of terrorism and security and is a consultant for Fox News. Staying Safe The Complete Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Family, and Your Business By Aviv, Juval HarperResource ISBN: 0060735201 Chapter One Becoming Security-Minded Whether we realize it or not, we're all security-minded and safety-conscious to one degree. Most of us lock our doors, bypass crime-ridden neighborhoods, don't unfurl billfolds in public, and stop mail and newspaper deliveries when we're away on vacation. We also look first before we cross streets, drive defensively, and know how to dial 911. Terrorism prevention and protection means adding a new set of procedures and routines to the list of precautions we already take. It's easier said than done, however. Think of heart-attack victims. If they're lucky enough to survive their first attack, they almost immediately become health- and fitness-conscious. They start taking care of themselves by going on diets, losing weight, and watching what they eat. Some stop smoking and drinking, and many join health clubs and begin exercising regularly. The intriguing question is, how would these heart-attack victims have fared if they had followed this lifestyle in the first place? Many of them would, most probably, have averted the early onset of heart disease. Our personal health, safety, and security, in other words, begin in the mind. We want to build concentric rings of defense, which increase your security and safety by making it harder for terrorists to victimize you. Think of the rings as encompassing both the locations at which you spend a good deal of time and the activities you engage in that could bring you in contact with terrorists. Then, it's a matter of instituting security measures and changes in routines that will lessen your chances of falling prey to terror. Know the five means of staying safe. In general, there are five ways of staying safe: avoidance, prevention, escape, assistance, and time. All of your preplanning, your thinking, and your strategies should revolve around those five means of survival. Avoidance means not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Prevention is the erection of barriers that protect you and your possessions. Escape is the recognition that you don't have to take your fate lying down. Assistance requires knowledge of how and when to seek outside help. And time is that precious commodity that keeps you alive long enough for help to arrive. If you frequently travel around town alone, particularly at night, invest in a personal attack alarm or, at the very least, a loud-sounding whistle. Stay away from crowds. That's the single best piece of advice that anyone seeking to avoid terrorism can follow. Terrorists most often stri