Corporate safe rooms -- fortified environments that act as a protective refuge in the event of a home invasion or other threat -- are an increasing necessity for people and organizations of all interests. And, while films and television programs continue to mythologize safe rooms as an indulgence for the super rich or eccentric, actual events tell a different story: safe rooms are and have been an integral part of corporate structures and residences worldwide, an otherwise well-kept secret that immediately captures the public's imagination.

Daily new headlines confirm these threats, and rare but brutal attacks against executives underscore the harsh reality of life in a dangerous world. Far from being a luxury, safe rooms are often seen as essential for businesses across the economic spectrum.

Safe rooms are often the key factor between life and death. In most cases, safe rooms are part of an architect's plans -- and a crucial element for security experts -- when consulting with owners during the critical stages of construction. Throughout this process, one principle is sacred: a safe room is a haven, a place where individuals, families or executives can protect themselves from violence while the authorities answer a call for help.

The lack of a corporate safe room is a potential liability. Consider that the capture or murder of a company's executives would emotionally and financially devastate shareholders, expose insurers to potentially big payouts and leave other businesses in a state of constant worry. Simply said, safe rooms can be one component of your overall executive protection plan.

Corporations do not publicize the existence of safe rooms for obvious reasons: first, executives and their security detail have no desire to broadcast to the enemy (yes, the enemy) the fact these things exist; and secondly, from a purely psychological standpoint, there is no reason to frighten employees and disrupt their day-to-day operations. And yet, events like 9/11 remind us of the security dangers that confront us. In fact, counterterrorism experts repeatedly warn companies that extremist groups seek opportunities to seize executives. For example, picture an otherwise sedate corporate campus -- a multi-acre software company in Silicon Valley or Washington State, the very model of a relaxed work environment, led by a young billionaire and his team of engineers. That same campus, a seemingly calm destination where programmers can play volleyball during their lunch break, and where the CEO parks his car in an ordinary space, definitely contains a highly sophisticated safe room. The real question is not whether the executive has a safe room; the more intriguing question is, what does a corporate safe room look like? What is inside the ultimate safe-space?