Thinking About Home Protection?

Why have monitored alarm systems?

The point of having a monitored security system is that if a break-in occurs, the right authorities can be notified and dispatched. Your business or home is protected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This gives peace of mind knowing that your home or business is protected. You also have the use of the three panic buttons (police, fire & medical). And further, having a monitored alarm system can save you up to 20% off your home insurance.

Is the security system easy to use?

A security system is very easy to use; the installer will provide basic training on the system after installation. Usually a security system comes with a complete manual that will provide further information about the security system. Some companies offer a 14-day orientation program. And if you attend the orientation program, there will be no dispatch until the 14-day period is over. Also the customer care department from you installer will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Is the system hard-wired or wireless?

You can get both hardwired and wireless equipment. It all depends on the location you are on. In a residential setting where the basement is finished and where there is no access to the ceiling, then it is possible to install a wireless system. If there is access to the basement ceiling then you need to install the hardwired system. Every home is different, and security consultants are trained to be able to present you the most suitable system and design for your location and your needs.

Can I use my system only when no one is home?

A security system can be designed in many ways to suit your way of life. You can pick from various levels of protection. For instance when you are not home you can have all the motion sensors and contacts activated. And if you are at home you can choose which zones are activated. Some peripherals such as smoke detectors must always be active, whether the system is armed or disarmed. Your security consultant can usually help you design a system that would best fit your needs and everyday life.

What happens if the burglar cuts my phone line?

Generally monitored alarm systems use the phone line to send a signal to the monitoring station. If the line is cut no one knows there is a break-in. The siren will still be audible though. If you want to have equipment that can handle the case where your phone line is cut, that is possible. Your security consultant can advise you the best course of action.

Today’s Home Security

Security is the most important aspect of life, most so in the case of home security. In the days of ever increasing crime and theft, it is all the more imperative for us to have a safe and strong home security system. The miscreants are well exposed to the modern methods of surveillance and monitoring making normal life highly vulnerable even inside our own home.

Many a careless family would tell their horrifying experience of house breaks and thefts that had happened to them out of sheer negligence and lack of proper security system.

Home security systems of varied nature and methods are plenty available. A simple warning signal by means of a security tag from a reputed security agency itself acts a deterrent for the robbers. However it is wise to choose an effective and economical system to make the security at home really effective. A good monitoring system to work in your absence and that would react when triggered enabling someone to see, or a system that produces an alarm, that can be directed to the Police or emergency service, is an ideal choice.

Use of variety of locks is another option to protect the house in one’s absence. Protecting the family and the belongings from the vulnerability of thefts and house breaks is no small task. One has to be quite relaxed when one is away from one’s house and has to ensure the possessions are quite safe even in their absence.

Wireless home security system, the modern effective way of protecting the home and the family, though a new concept, is really effective. One has to know the basics of wireless home security system before choosing the same.

The first aspect to be considered in a wireless security system is to determine the number of doors and windows that could be brought under the system. The placing of the control panel and keypads is an individual choice, while some prefer it near the front door, others find it convenient to be on the side of the bedroom.

The doors and windows need to be near to the sensors to enable them to communicate with the sensors. Various choices are available in monitoring systems; one option is to hire a company for a nominal fee. If on the other hand one choose to spend less, a basic system with a dialer connected to the telephone, that can dial the chosen numbers would be sufficient.

Motion detectors is normally a good option, unless of course the pets in the home roam around, during night or when the system is enabled making unwanted alarms or warning signals.

One should entrust the home security system to a reputable and trust worthy security agency. The wireless home security system chosen should monitor every zone in the house. Further the system should be user friendly and effective during an emergency.

The batteries used in the contact devices tends to be a costly as the same is to be replaced and each service call needs to be paid. The system therefore is a bit expensive compared to a hard wired system. One has to be a little technical savvy to avoid such expenditure and capable of reinstalling the batteries by oneself.

Installation of the wireless security system is quite easy and once the control panels and sensors are properly placed at desired points, the system is operational and you stand protected. Alternatively one can also get the system installed by a contractor or a company specialized in the service at a nominal cost.

Who Has The Keys To Your Home?

What can you do to safeguard your home if your house keys accidentally end up in the wrong hands? That’s a question nearly two out of every three American homeowners should consider closely, according to a new study.

The study, Danger at America’s Doorstep: Who Has Keys to Your Home?, looked at how homeowners protect–or fail to protect–their house keys and safeguard their home.

The survey found that a majority (64 percent) of American homeowners have knowingly circulated their house keys outside of their immediate family and nearly one-third (27 percent) of American homeowners have given out a key three or more times.

Every 15 seconds a burglar breaks into a house, apartment or condo in the U.S. Burglars are often quick to attack a home’s easiest point of entry, and nothing’s easier than unlocking a front door with a set of keys. According to John Heppner, President and CEO of Fortune Brands Storage and Security, including Master Lock Company L.L.C., “Too many Americans underestimate the potential risks they invite to their homes when they let their house keys wander.”

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent strangers from entering your home–even if they have your key. For example, the Master Lock NightWatch™ Deadbolt looks and works just like a standard deadbolt lock, but it offers a powerful new security feature-a patent pending blocking function that locks out all keys.

To activate, owners simply lock the deadbolt as they would a standard deadbolt and then pull the lever towards them. This simple motion locks the deadbolt into an “engaged” position that blocks out any key. The lock can only be engaged or disengaged from indoors and can be easily installed in any standard entry door, replacing any other standard deadbolt.

To safeguard their homes, homeowners should:

1. Keep keys secured where they won’t be forgotten or left behind.

2. Don’t hide keys in “secret” places outside your home-experienced burglars can usually find them.

3. Never attach your keys to anything that lists your name, address or phone number, and never leave them behind in a locked (or unlocked) car.

4. Always separate your house keys from your car keys each time you valet your car or drop it off for maintenance.

5. Only give your keys to someone who will watch over them as if they were their own.

The Truth About Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission reports that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. The term “identity theft” was not even coined until a few years ago. These days we seem to hear it every time we turn on the television or open a magazine. But what is the real truth about identity theft?

The United States Department of Justice offers this definition: “Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.”

So how real is this threat? Several of the world’s largest banks and data collection agencies have suffered fraud affecting millions of people. The IRS has stated that their networks of personal and financial records are not well protected.

It appears that we are all at risk for identity theft, and there may not be anything we can do about it. In fact, many people who are at risk don’t even realize it.

So what are some ways to stop identity theft? How do you know if you are putting yourself at risk of becoming a victim?

Take, for example, your driver’s license or health insurance card. In many instances, the account or license number is the same as your Social Security number. Calling a pharmacy, doctor’s office, or car insurance company will often lead to you being asked for your Social Security number as a means of identification.

Your personal checks often include your name, address, bank account number, and signature. They’re often supplemented at the store’s request with your phone number and driver’s license number or Social Security number. An unscrupulous store clerk may easily gain access to all this information.

No matter what type of data you are providing, whether it’s to your doctor’s office, your pharmacy, your bank, stores you make purchases from, schools, or even the IRS, this information has a chance of being compromised. The internet has made spreading and selling the information not only easier, but more anonymous for the criminals. The volume of information in today’s society makes identity theft an ever-present danger.

Recently, companies have begun adapting to the changing environment and recognizing the very real threat that identity theft poses. Those with large databases of personal and financial information are being required to better protect that data. The United States government has joined by prosecuting identity theft criminals. Credit card companies, banks, and insurance companies have begun to offer identity theft insurance.

Here are several places to search on the internet if you would like to learn more about identity theft and identity fraud, and what government programs have been implemented to help curb this financial threat.

Department of Justice: www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

Federal Trade Commission:
www.ftc.org

Identity Theft Resource Center:
www.idtheftcenter.org

Consult with your bank, your credit card companies, and your insurance company to see what steps they are taking to help prevent identity theft. Find out what coverage they can offer to protect you in case it happens to you. Make sure that you do business with companies which are supporting government legislation to curb identity theft and identity fraud.

The truth is that identity theft is out there. It’s not just a scare tactic used by insurance companies to sell needless coverage to unsuspecting clients. The threat is very real, but with research and information, you can help lower your risk of becoming one of its victims.

Tips On Avoiding Home Safety Risks

Now that you’ve weathered the winter, the door is open for you to focus on the maintenance of your home-not only the inside of your home but outside, too, making sure the house is safe and properly maintained. Doing this will help to prevent safety risks and costly repairs in the future. Dan Steward, president of Pillar To Post, North America’s largest home inspection service, offers these suggestions:

Inspect the deck: Wooden decks can become damaged and corroded from the harshness of winter. See if nails or screws are popping up. Clean the deck and seal it.

Check electrical outlets and extension cords: Replace any loose-fitting plugs or frayed extension cords to prevent a fire hazard.

“Degrease” the garage: If the family car has been leaking oil or other fluids onto the garage floor all winter, now is a great time to clean it up. A greasy garage floor is slippery and potentially a fire hazard. Use nontoxic, nonflammable, biodegradable degreasers such as Simple Green. Pour the concentrate on liberally and scrub with a nylon brush. Cover the area with about an inch of kitty litter and let it sit for 24 hours. Sweep away the kitty litter for a clean floor at low cost.

Improve the yard with size in mind: Look to see how plants and trees have grown during the past year. They may be too large and could cause damage to the home’s structure. Leave enough space between the house and those baby shrubs you’re planting to allow 12″ between the plant and wall. This provides adequate ventilation and reduces the risk of future damage.

Clean the A/C: Use your garden hose to rinse off the evaporator coil fins on your A/C condenser unit.

Check the garage door: The garage door can weigh up to 400 pounds. Springs and balancing mechanisms can fail over time, which can cause great damage to the door and harm to people around it. Now’s a good time to take a close look at the springs.

To avoid safety risks and expensive repairs down the road, it’s always a good idea to get a complete home inspection from a reputable and established company such as Pillar To Post.

Inspect smoke, radon and carbon monoxide detectors: Test them and change the battery every three months or as needed. Be certain there is a detector on each floor of the home.

What is Home Security Monitoring?

If you do not already have a home security monitoring system, you might be completely unaware of the options that are available to you. Even if you already have home security monitoring, you still might not be fully aware of the options available beyond your current home security monitoring system. In its most basic sense home security monitoring protects your family and possessions from burglary but it can do so much more than that.

Protection from fire is just one of the other capabilities of a home security monitoring system. While a home security monitoring system will not prevent fires, it can sound an alarm that could summon the fire department quickly enough to prevent catastrophic damage to your property. Many home security monitoring systems have a built in smoke detection system that enables the security system to detect the presence of smoke which could indicate a fire in the house. When this alarm is triggered, a message is sent to the home security monitoring station which alerts the staff that smoke has been detected in the home. The personnel will then contact the property owner to determine whether it is a false alarm or a true emergency. If it is an emergency the home security monitoring staff member will contact the local fire department to alert them to the fire on the property.

Another aspect of home security monitoring is the use of security cameras inside the home. Security cameras are often installed in the home when there are employees such as daycare providers or cleaning personnel who are unsupervised in the house. Using security cameras for home security monitoring enables the homeowners to oversee the work of their employees while they are out of the house or to review the recordings from the cameras when they return home.

Home security monitoring can also be used to view the outside of your property while you are home. Security cameras can be installed so that they provide a view of your front door. This enables you to check the television monitor to determine who is at the door if your doorbell rings. This type of home security monitoring is largely a matter of convenience because it enables you to not answer the door to solicitors. It can have some security value though. If you install two way communication devices you can use this home security monitoring feature to ask service personnel to display their identification badges before answering the door to ensure that they really work for the company that they say they represent.

Home security monitoring can have many different components. Your home security monitoring system can help to prevent extensive fire damage, can allow you to supervise employees in your home and can allow you to see who is at your door before answering the door.

Home Security: Time To Take It Seriously

The latest crime statistics are, to put it mildly, quite disturbing. Crime in United States accounts for more death, injuries and loss of property then all Natural Disasters combined. According to FBI statistics a burglary occurs in the United States every 15 seconds. On top of this the victims and their relatives often experience financial problems, and time is often lost from work to handle the legal, insurance and personal problems associated with being a victim.

Home intrusions continue to rise. In the 80′s when crack cocaine hit the streets crime rose an average of 26 percent in most major cities. Now, a major contributor to home intrusions is the drug Methamphetamine. Burglary and thefts from auto’s are the most prevalent neighborhood crimes.

Often, breaking into an auto gives the thief a bonus, access to the remote control allowing the house’s garage door to be opened. Household burglary is rampant because it is one of the easiest crimes to commit, half the time with no forced entry required. Most home intrusions occur during daylight hours while homeowners are away. The burglar will in many cases watch your home for a few days to see when you are out.

While home burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. Neighborhood Watch is a good starting point, and is a proven crime-reduction program. Most police departments are very supportive of these programs and will provide information and materials on how to set up a program. Members watch out for their neighbors and report suspicious activities to the police department.

A term used often in these groups is “hardening the target”. Hardening the target means steps you can take to cause a thief to bypass your house and move on to an easier target. Some of these items include using quality deadbolt locks, installing impact resistant glass on certain windows so someone cannot break the glass and reach in and unlock the door, installing solid exterior doors, installing motion sensing outdoor lighting, and others tailored to your particular situation.

Most of the security items mentioned are relatively inexpensive ways to “harden your target”. Also, many high tech devices once considered cost prohibitive are now affordable. For example, a wireless video surveillance system can be purchase for around $50.00. Just mount the small camera in the area to be viewed and view the image on a channel on your home TV set. Elaborate systems, however, can still be costly.

Consider installing a home security system. This is taking “hardening the target” to the highest level. Homes without security systems are 3 times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. 90 percent of police believe alarms deter burglary attempts. A full article could be devoted to this one subject, but lets look at the main points. You will hear the terms hardwired or wireless used when describing home alarm systems. If you are renting your accommodation, a wireless system is the best choice because you can take the system with you when you move. If you own your home, either type system can be used.

Most security professionals tend to favor hardwire, but the negative side is the higher cost due to the installation time involved. Wireless, by the nature of the name, is installed in hours compared to days with hardwired systems. A negative side is having to worry with batteries. Ultimately either system detects an intrusion and sounds an alarm. The alarm can be a local siren or bell, or a silent alarm to a security monitoring company, or both. The security representative surveying your home can make recommendations for your best protection based on your living patterns.

If you are just living as usual, you are putting your family, and your property at unnecessary risk. Home intrusions have increased to the point where every homeowner must become more aware of the dangers, and learn about the latest security products available to protect ones home, family, and valuables. Make sure your home is safe and secure.