After the first two phases of the plan -- assessment of risks, and analysis and planning -- are completed, the principal and his/her family can proceed with acquiring professional training in the skills their assessment and security plans indicate. This is where most of the work comes in. This training might include some or all of the following:

Escape/evasion driving: Because these skills cannot legally be practiced on the public streets, this training must be done at a track, by experienced teachers. It should emphasize rapid forward motion as the single factor most conductive to survival in an attack. This training also should affect one's choice of vehicles in daily life: In some situations, an armored vehicle is indicated; in others, speed and maneuverability should be emphasized.

Emergency medicine: This should account for any medical issues family members may have, together with more general knowledge. "Wilderness" medical training -- that practiced by guides and ski patrols -- is a good choice because it emphasizes the treatment of injuries, and because it assumes a longer professional response time than some other types. Related to this, trauma and first aid kits should be maintained and kept up-to-date, especially by those living on remote properties or large estates. The kit would contain any special emergency medications family members might need.

Surveillance-detection: This training should include surveillance awareness, simple surveillance detection techniques, and knowledge of the nearest safe havens along one's regular routes. Ideally, the principal will develop awareness of how to quickly get to the nearest police station and hospital anywhere in his/her usual area of operations. Surveillance detection is an esoteric set of skills, but it is most often taught to people who must operate without alerting hostile "watchers." Surveillance detection for personal security can be much more "provocative," so the learning curve for this aspect of the skill set is much shorter.

Self-defense: The goal is to escape, not to fight, attackers. The correct approach to self-defense training should include a great deal of learning about confrontational situations and how to see them coming and avoid them, or survive them when confrontation is unavoidable (as when an attacker stands between one and the only escape route). Coupled with this knowledge should be a few simple physical techniques that can disable an attacker long enough (usually a few seconds) for one to get away. Because escape is the goal, however, it is a good idea to create a safe haven, or so-called "panic room," inside the residence.

Superior area knowledge: This is less a matter of training than familiarization. It must be self-taught, and it takes time. But outside established safe havens, a thorough knowledge of the areas in which one operates, together with awareness of available safe havens and hospitals and the fastest route to them, can give principals a distinct advantage over criminals who could be in the area only for their operations and do not truly know their way around.

Training for children: Many schools and police departments offer excellent "kid safety" training programs for children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, at www.missingkids.com, is an excellent resource for finding training of this type, both for parents and children. Parents might also consider providing their children with phones that have Global Positioning System capabilities.

To arm or not to arm: The use of firearms, pepper spray and other weapons in a reactive situation requires professional training and constant practice. Most of all, the weapon must be in one's hand and in working order at the moment of attack. By their nature, however, attacks are rare surprises, especially for someone who has put a great deal of effort into learning how to avoid confrontational situations in the first place. Although a shotgun, when maintained and used properly, can be an excellent home-defense weapon, the use of weapons in a life-threatening situation should be considered a "third tier" tool. Attack recognition and avoidance is of most importance, followed by the use of tools that are always available at a split second's notice: One's hands. Weapons come last, if at all.

Finally, many of these skills have a very short shelf life unless they are practiced regularly. Likewise, emergency plans, even those that may be well-developed, will be of little help during the mental and physical chaos of a life-threatening situation if they are not regularly drilled.

Executives under threat -- perhaps even those who have professional security details -- can greatly enhance their safety by following the basic principles: Developing a realistic understanding of the threat they and their families face; devising a plan that is responsive to the understood threat; and getting the skills necessary to implement the plan effectively. Professional help is necessary in getting things started, but going forward, safety and security can be quite effectively self-managed, except in the most extreme circumstances.