Abstract: A safety armor for protection against gunfire, comprising a shield composed of an alloy steel which has a base carbon content of less than 0.3% by mass of carbon and has been enriched in strength-increasing elements including at least one of carbon and nitrogen by means of a thermochemical treatment in a surface zone extending from at least one outer surface of the shield, with the steel of the surface zone having an increased surface hardness as a result of a thermal treatment including at least one of hardening and tempering carried out after the thermochemical treatment, the steel is enriched to at least 0.5% by mass of carbon in the surface zone and has a minimum hardness of 55 HRC on the outer surface with the presence of carbides in the surface zone, with the shield having a silicon content of not more than 0.4% by mass both in the surface zone and in a lower hardness region adjoining the surface zone which has a carbon content and hardness less than the surface zone.