Your home is your castle, and taking your home security seriously means keeping your family and personal belongings safe.
Home security devices are excellent for protecting your property and deterring criminals. Some research shows that simply having a security system present is enough to make opportunistic burglars change their minds about targeting your home.
However, there are always more ways to help minimise the risk to your home — here are some common vulnerabilities in home security and how to fix them.
Leaving Windows Or Doors Unlocked
While highly-motivated home invaders aren’t above forcing their way into your home, more often than not, burglars are looking for the lowest-effort opportunity when it comes to targeting a house. Keeping windows and doors locked, even while you’re in, helps to deter these criminals.
You can also invest in security devices such as a camera for your front door, or sensors that can alert you when a window or door has been left unlocked or opened. Smart home security locks are another option that allows you to lock your doors from an app, although these security devices are not immune to cyber attacks.
Hiding A Key Outside Your Home
It’s convenient to hide a spare key outside when you forget your keys or a friend needs to water your plants while you’re away. However, hidden keys are also convenient for criminals that want easy access to your home.
Instead of hiding a key outside, install security devices like a code-accessible lockbox to the side of your house. You could even change the locks on your doors to require a PIN instead of a key, eliminating the need for a key to be left outside altogether.
Skipping Smart Home Security Maintenance
Home security technology has boomed in recent years, seeing a rise in the popularity of security devices like cameras, smart locks, and sophisticated alarms. With all these new home security systems come new challenges that burglars can use against you when gaining access to your home.
You must keep your security device software up to date, where possible, to prevent vulnerabilities that home invaders can exploit. Regularly check your mains- and battery-powered security devices to ensure they’re still connected and functioning as they should.
Monitoring Your Home Security Yourself
Setting up your security devices is only part of your overall home security; you need to have a plan for dealing with alarms and monitoring while you’re away. If your camera picks up a break-in while you’re away from your phone, it might be too late when you check the notification.
Security companies offer home security monitoring for a reason — it’s a job that requires constant monitoring. Giving multiple household members access to your home security system can help you to react to potential alerts, but if you can, consider investing in a security company to monitor these alerts.
Staying on top of your home security is crucial for protecting your family from unsavoury characters. To learn more about home security, you can read the latest news here.
