Recognising and Reacting to Threats

Prepare detail 02

Purpose & Output

The purpose of this exercise is to help you recognise the areas in which your perceptions are most accurate and the areas in which you may be less clear-sighted.

You should gain a clearer understanding of:

  • your reactions to threats in the past which went well and not so well
  • the gaps in your recognition of threats
  • things you may want change
  • things which make you confident facing new threats and should be continued.

Input & Materials

Printed copies of the table

Format & Steps

Individual reflection Think back on a past experience where you felt particularly unsafe and then acted to take care of yourself. While the experience might have been primarily physical, emotional or related to information security, it might also have had additional impacts on other aspects of your security.

Use the following table to keep track of your insights.

Remarks & Tips

It is helpful to take time for this exercise and write your answers clearly so that you can come back to them as you deepen your self-awareness. If you do this, take care to keep your notes in a private place, sharing your personal thoughts and questions only with people that you trust.


Choose one moment when you felt threatened or in danger and then acted to protect yourself. Consider experiences of physical danger (such as a robbery), emotionally damaging experiences (such as being threatened or betrayed) or threats to your information and communications (such as devices being confiscated or telephones being wire-tapped.

 

How did you become aware of the threat?

 

Were there earlier indicators of the threat that you noticed, or maybe failed to notice? Consider indicators in the socio-political environment, in your physical environment, in your devices and in your body and mind.

 

Were there earlier indicators of the threat that you had noticed, but dismissed as unimportant? Consider indicators in the socio-political environment, in your physical environment, in your devices and in your body and mind.

 

What were your initial reactions when you became aware of the threat and how effective were these?

 

What were your subsequent actions and how effective were these?

 

What would you change if you could go back in time? What would you do instead?

 

What can you learn from this experience which might help you feel more confident in your ability to cope with future difficulties?