Mall security tight, but not 100%: Taubman Centers

In wake of the deadly Paris terrorist attacks, malls in the United States have increased security as the holiday shopping seasons kicks off this week with Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals, Bill Taubman, chief operating officer of Taubman Centers, said Wednesday.

"We are a soft target. You can't change that. However, we have extensive security, both what you see and what you don't see," Taubman told CNBC's " Squawk Box ."

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Taubman Centers owns, leases or manages 18 malls in 10 states, including Beverly Center in Los Angeles, The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Michigan.

"We have lots of security on staff. We always have police that are on site or very close," he said. "[But] you're never 100 percent protected."

With the State Department alert warning Americans worldwide to be vigilant in public places, malls have been taking a second look at emergency procedures, Taubman said. "We did some emergency tests in each of the malls to test our reaction [and] our readiness. Everything went very well."

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