Target hardening, also referred to simply as hardening when made clear by the context, is a term used by police officers, those working in security, and the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

referring to the strengthening of the security of a building or installation in order to protect it in the event of attack or reduce the risk of

theft Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shor ...

. It is believed that a "strong, visible defense will deter or delay an attack". In terms of business and

home security Home security includes both the Security alarm, security hardware placed on a property and individuals' Security of person, personal security practices. Security hardware includes doors, locks, alarm systems, lighting, motion detectors, and secu ...

, target hardening is one of the suite of protective measures that are included in

crime prevention through environmental design Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is a system for developing the built environment to reduce the possibility of opportunistic crime and limit the perception of crime in a given neighborhood. CPTED originated in the United Sta ...

. This can include ensuring all doors and windows are sourced and fitted in such a way that they can resist forcible and surreptitious intruder attack, adding hard barriers and landscapes that resist vehicle and pedestrian intrusion, adding fences, walls and hostile planting. All of these are greatly assisted by removing or pruning any

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s or bushes that could offer suitable hiding places or could be used to climb to a higher level of the property. However, for a business, taking target hardening too far can send the wrong message out to potential customers. In military or

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

terms, target hardening refers to ensuring strategic or tactical assets are secured against adversary attack. Other more specific terms associated with target hardening include hostile vehicle mitigation and "blast hardening".Designing Blast Hardened Structures for Military and Civilian Use (abstract)
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See also

References

Further reading