In this episode, I speak to Ami Toben, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces, and director of consulting and training for HighCom Security Services, an elite private security firm based in the Oakland/San Franscisco Bay Area. Ami writes extensively about security-related issues on his blog, with a particular emphasis on surveillance/counter-surveillance and counter-terrorism.Although much of Ami's work is geared towards professional security officers, I asked him to connect the dots between the concepts - many of them developed in Israel - that his firm uses in support of their clients, and the efforts of normal civilians to stay safe in their daily lives. Ami delivered a tremendous amount of very useful, eye-opening information that will be of interest to anyone looking for greater control of their personal security.Topics Discussed• Mechanics of preventive security.• Responding to hostile planning vs. hostile action.• How to conduct preventive security that catches bad guys without offending good guys.• What scares a suicide bomber who isn't afraid to die.• Why nosy neighbors keep communities safe.• The principles of the Inner Circle and Outer Circle.• How Israeli airport security screening focuses on motivations rather than objects.• The value of irrelevant questions in determining hostile intention.• Analyzing behavior vs. appearance.• What "chosen appearance" can tell you about a person.• Interplay of martial arts and self-defense training.• How the "warrior mentality" of military and law enforcement is misunderstood by civilians.• The factors that criminals look for in a target.• How to be the worst target for a criminal.• The difference between verbal compliance and verbal management of aggressive behavior.• Why civilians should understand basic concepts of surveillance.