It has a huge tactical advantage, even if the aggressor is brandishing a cocked gun, someone with concealed carry has lots of advantages.
To start with, if you think they are hostile, but they do not know you are armed, you might not be their priority, thus allowing you to seek cover and pull your weapon. If there is more than just you on “your side”, any of you might be armed, which divides the aggressor’s attention.
If they see you are armed, they might “get the drop on you”, so if you go for your gun, they will shoot you. But if they don’t know you are armed, they likely *want* something from you, not to shoot you, but their attention is all over the place; whereas yours is simple: retrieve gun and shoot them.
If they want to rob you, you have to get out things they want, like your wallet, giving you the opportunity to draw on them if they are distracted. Likewise, if you give them your stuff and they turn to leave, you can shoot them.
So again, while open carry sends a message to everyone that you are armed, concealed carry just sends a message to criminals. In the form of hot lead.
If you look weak, and like an easy target... You will get attacked with greater frequency than if you looked like a tough meal/hard target.
Period.
This is why schools and malls get attacked by random nutcases with greater frequency than police stations.
Everything else is strawmen and unsupportable by logic or actual criminal stats.
“If they see you are armed, they might “get the drop on you”, so if you go for your gun, they will shoot you.”
Almost never happens. Far more commonly, they pick a different target.
“But if they don’t know you are armed, they likely *want* something from you, not to shoot you, but their attention is all over the place; whereas yours is simple: retrieve gun and shoot them.”
Sometime it happens that way, perhaps more often than not. I have also seen a number of instances where the person who is carrying concealed is attacked *because* the perpetrator thinks that they are unarmed.
Concealed carry and open carry both have their advantages and disadvantages. I use both when I think prudent to do so.