A bodyguard is a person or group of people who professionally protect someone from personal assault, kidnapping, assassination, loss of confidential information, or other threats. An alternative term for bodyguard is close-protection officer. Bodyguards may be armed, and have expertise in unarmed combat, tactical driving, and first aid. The most important skill for a bodyguard is the ability to assess a situation and decide how best to respond to minimize danger to his principal.