Vulnerability means the degree to which people are susceptible to loss, damage, suffering and death in the event of an attack. This varies for each defender or group, and changes with time. Vulnerability is always relative, because all people and groups are vulnerable to some extent. However, everyone has their own level and type of vulnerability, depending on their circumstances. Let’s see some examples:

• Vulnerability can be about location. For example, a defender is usually more vulnerable when s/he is out on the road during a field visit than when s/he is at a well known office where any attack is likely to be witnessed.

• Vulnerabilities can include lack of access to a phone or to safe ground transportation or to proper locks in the doors of a house. But vulnerabilities are also related to the lack of networks and shared responses among defenders.

• Vulnerabilities may also have to do with team work and fear: A defender that receives a threat may feel fear, and his/her work will be affected by fear. If s/he has no a proper way to deal with fear (somebody to talk to, a good team of colleagues, etc) chances are that s/he could makes mistakes or take poor decisions that may lead him/her to more security problems.

There is a combined check-list of possible vulnerabilities and capacities at the end of this chapter.