The Security Jawbreaker

Abstract

When someone stands at the front door of your home, what are the steps to let them in? If it is a member of the family, they use their house key, unlocking the door using the authority the key confers. For others, a knock at the door or doorbell ring prompts you to make a decision. Once in your home, different individuals have differing authority based on who they are. Family members have access to your whole home. A close friend can roam around unsupervised, with a high level of trust. An appliance repair person is someone you might supervise for the duration of the job to be done. For more sensitive locations in your home, you can lock a few doors, giving you further assurance. Making these decisions is an implicit form of evaluating risk tolerance, or your willingness to accept the chance that something might go against your best interests.