Target Hardening: Making Yourself a Less Attractive Target

What Is Target Hardening?

In the field of crime prevention, target hardening refers to the process of making people, property, or assets more difficult, risky, or time-consuming to target. The objective is not to design an impenetrable vault, but to systematically reduce criminal opportunity. By implementing appropriate security measures, you alter the cost-benefit calculation that potential offenders make when selecting a target. When a target requires too much time, noise, or effort, or carries a high risk of detection, offenders will almost always look for an easier opportunity.

Target hardening is one of the most widely used principles in crime prevention because it focuses on reducing opportunities rather than reacting after an incident occurs.

Opportunity Matters

The vast majority of crimes—especially property crimes like burglary, auto theft, and opportunistic theft—are driven by opportunity. Offenders weigh four primary factors when evaluating a target:

• Effort: How physically hard is it to breach the barrier or take the asset?
• Time: How long will it take to complete the act and escape?
• Visibility: Can the act be performed out of sight, or is it exposed to observation?
• Uncertainty & Risk: What is the likelihood of being interrupted, caught, or identified?

Effective target hardening, including structured burglary prevention, aims to maximize the effort and risk while minimizing the visibility for the offender, forcing them to reconsider the target's viability.

Target Hardening Is More Than Physical Security

While target hardening often involves physical security hardware like locks, deadbolts, and security grilles, equipment is only one part of the system. True target hardening is built on a foundation of behavioral habits, routines, and situational awareness. Having the best deadbolt in the world is useless if you forget to lock it, leave a window open, or publish your travel plans on social media. Real security is an integration of hardware, software, habits, and situational awareness (which you can learn more about in What Is Situational Awareness?).

Think Like an Opportunist

To harden your targets effectively, you must learn to look at your life and property through the eyes of an opportunist. This is similar to understanding the principles of Victim Selection, where criminals look for cues of vulnerability. Ask yourself:

• Which home on the street looks like it is currently unoccupied?
• Which vehicle has valuables left in plain sight on the dashboard?
• Which person in the crowded subway station is completely distracted by their phone?

Identifying these vulnerability indicators in your own life allows you to patch them before someone else exploits them.

This is closely related to Victim Selection. Understanding how opportunities influence behavior allows you to reduce the factors that may make you or your property appear more attractive than other available options.

Small Changes Create Big Results

You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to significantly harden your security. High-impact target hardening actions include:

• Replacing short screws in door strike plates with 3-inch screws to secure the door directly to the structural studs.
• Securing side gates with high-quality padlocks to prevent backyard entry.
• Keeping bushes and trees trimmed below window level to prevent hidden approaches.
• Leaving a light on or using automated timers to simulate occupancy when you are away.
• Parking in well-lit, visible spaces rather than dark corners.
• Securing digital accounts using multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strong passwords.
• Verifying identities at the door before unlocking or opening it.

Target Hardening Everywhere

These principles apply universally across all environments:

• At Home: Implementing physical delay layers (quality locks, security film) and environmental visibility (lighting, line of sight), which forms the core of a Layers of Security framework.
• While Traveling: Avoiding predictable routines, keeping valuables out of sight in vehicles, and locking hotel doors immediately (detailed in Travel Smart, Stay Safe, Hotel Security, and Vehicle Security).
• In Public: Maintaining awareness of your surroundings, avoiding distraction, and securing personal bags.
• Online: Securing personal data, using password managers, and avoiding sharing sensitive information (detailed in Digital Security).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these typical mistakes when attempting to harden your security:

• Relying on one product: Buying a video doorbell and assuming your home is fully protected.
• Ignoring daily habits: Leaving side doors unlocked or keeping keys in obvious hiding places near the entrance.
• Spending without a security plan: Purchasing random gadgets instead of building an integrated, layered security plan.
• Assuming "it won't happen here": Neglecting basic precautions due to a false sense of safety.
• Neglecting digital security: Securing your physical home while leaving your digital assets easily accessible.

Practical Scenario: Comparing Opportunity & Risk

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

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