Burglars and “Feeling Secure”

Burglars and “Feeling Secure”.

From Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill Mason (Villard, 2003):

Nothing works more in a thief's favor than people feeling
secure. That's why places that are heavily alarmed and guarded can
sometimes be the easiest targets. The single most important factor in
security — more than locks, alarms, sensors, or armed guards — is
attitude. A building protected by nothing more than a cheap combination
lock but inhabited by people who are alert and risk-aware is much safer
than one with the world's most sophisticated alarm system whose tenants
assume they're living in an impregnable fortress.

The author, a burglar, found that luxury condos were an excellent
target. Although they had much more security technology than other
buildings, they were vulnerable because no one believed a thief could
get through the lobby.  [Schneier on Security]

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