Home Security | A Complete And Updated Guide on 2021

Locks make you feel secure, but if someone wanted to break into your home, they could get in easily. You can’t rely on locks as your exclusive means of security in the place of living. You require using other utilities and tactics to make multiple layers of defense. That’s why today we’re bringing you a complete guide to home security tips and tricks.

There are many ways to increase home security. Some configurations have the potential to be subjectively expensive, while others can be done for free.

The end purpose tends to be the same: to offer a potential burglar a reason to assume twice before entering a home.

According to the FBI, Home Break-In (burglary) is the most common threat to our home. A home is burglarized every 13 seconds, which equates to 2.5 million home intrusions every year.

How effective is Home Security?

Homes without security systems are up to 300% more likely to be broken into.

The easy act of having one installed, regardless of its effectiveness or the living place security system you get, will help radically mitigate the commitment of having a break-in generated.

Understand a criminal’s head: time, noise, and visibility. Most burglars are criminals of opportunity.

In most cases, they are only targeting homes that they can easily enter undetected. Sociologists who have interviewed burglars have found three recurring components they use to know whether or not to take a house: time, noise, and visibility.

Burglars want to enter and exit a home as quickly as possible.

The longer it takes to enter a home, the more likely it is that someone will notice and call the police. Therefore, the more complicated the entry, the better.

Unfortunately, enough people make it quite simple for a criminal to rob them. Some research suggests that about 30% of all burglaries are through an unlocked door or garage.

Beyond the fact that it is simple to pick a lock, it takes a lot more time than going through an unlocked door or window. 

Aside from the time aspect, burglars look to see if they have the ability to carry out their fillet without being noticed. Barking dogs and home security systems will attract unwanted attention to a burglar because of the noise they develop. Consequently, burglars commonly bypass homes with these properties.

Also, homes that are poorly lit at night or have several trees blocking the primary entrance or windows are attractive targets because they provide a cloak for burglars.

Complete Guide to Home Security

Time, Noise, Visibility

Part of a solid living space security plan is growing these three components. On what surfaces do you need to do the best?

To find out, you need to:

Put your joint

The first thing to do to make your living place’s security better is to find your living place’s weaknesses. And the way you do that is to look at your place as if it were a criminal.

Keep in mind the three components we just discussed and the situation of your joint. Do this throughout the day and night and ask yourself questions like:

• Are there surfaces near my house that provide cover for a bad guy to enter unseen?
• Is my house well lit at night?
• Do I have unlocked doors or windows?
• Can I easily see valuable items in my home from the street?
• Do the people in my house have practices that would make it easy for a burglar to know when would be the most remarkable instant to hit my house?

Be relentless with yourself as you try to guess how a burglar would do it.

General Living Space Security Measures

Install a Home Security System

Homes without a security system are often three times more likely to be burglarized than homes with one.

Home security systems, of course, deter would-be burglars by having audible attention drawn to their burglary attempts. They also automatically send the police to your home.

In addition to monitoring for breaches, many security companies also offer fire and carbon monoxide detection, as well as features that allow you to keep an eye on the lighting and appliances in your living space while you are away.

Of course, getting a robust, monitored security system from a respected provider is an important alternative.

Burglars have learned to look for video cameras that manage to be located in the home, so they also have the potential to be useful as a deterrent.

However, if a finished security system is impossible, “imitation” security signs and window stickers can be purchased to deter burglars.

Another virtue of having this kind of system installed in your place of living is that most insurance companies will reward you for being proactive. They do this in the guise of outstanding discounts on your place of living insurance policy. These discounts can range from 2 to 20 percent, which can help mitigate the cost of 24/7 monitoring of your home.

Get a Dog

Beyond the fact that you don’t have to rely on your dog as your primary means of living security, having a barking (or howling) dog in the backyard or your home is going to make the bad guys think twice before breaking into your house.

It’s not so much the fear of being, but the sight of barking drawing attention to their intrusion.

Keep the outside of your home well lit.

Lousy dogs don’t want to be seen, so do whatever you can get to deny them the cover of darkness. You want to have lighting on parts of your home’s exterior that will allow your neighbors to see a suspicious individual within 100 feet of your home.

Turn on your front door light at dusk, so as some other lights near entry points.

If you have tall trees near your home, you might also consider having timed spotlights on their branches that turn on during the night.

Motion-activated floodlights near shaded surfaces also create added security.

They will only turn on when someone’s activity in the area triggers it. Having a bright light on them can suddenly scare off a bad guy.

All of these lights not only keep likely burglars away but also assist friends and family to walk safely to their front door at night.

Be cautious about who you let into your home.

Whenever you let someone into your home, it allows them to steal from you right then and there, or to search for your valuables and make preparations to return later and pass them off prominently.

When you need to be especially vigilant, you hire service providers such as repairmen, contractors, cleaners, babysitters, etc. Always ask for references and examine them meticulously. You may also consider conducting a background check.

So, when you have repairmen or contractors come to your home, hide your valuables before they arrive. Never give them a key and only give them access to the home’s parts where they are doing work. And don’t reveal future vacation plans.

Whenever workers call it a day, go through your home and take a quick inventory.

At this point, it is necessary to verify that your valuables are still there. However, it is more important to check to see if your doors and windows are still locked. A common ploy of criminal contractors is to open doors and windows to come back later to remove.

Avoid hiring unneeded assistance.

A common scam run by criminals is called “imposter thefts.” A few traveling tradesmen knock on your door, offering you some service: tree trimming, gutter repair, painting, etc.

One of the scammers will lure you outside to comment with you about your trees or whatever, while the other enters your home to pluck simple selections. Bottom line: if you didn’t urge anyone to come to your house, don’t get involved with them.

Always lock your doors and windows. Sure, they can be easily picked or bypassed, but remember, 30% of all burglars enter a home through an unlocked door or window. 

Beyond the fact that locks aren’t foolproof, they make breaking into your home a bit more retarded and, therefore, less endearing to a bad guy.

The most common way for a burglar to enter a home is the way most homeowners do it: through the front door. Beyond front doors, windows and parking lot doors are also commonly used as entry points.

It only takes a viable burglar a few seconds to walk through a property and check for open doors and windows.

Securing Windows

• Always lock windows.
• Consider the opportunity for security film.
• Consider security bars.
• Keep in mind that beyond keeping lousy people from getting in, bars additionally keep you and your family from getting out in the event of a fire. There are light release gadgets accessible that are installed inside the home that accept you to release the bars by simply touching a link.
• Use blinds and curtains.
• Plant thorny bushes close to windows.

Not only does this make it more difficult for a viable burglar to enter your window, but it can also be useful as an evidence-gathering utility in the event of a successful burglary. Blood, skin, and torn clothing in the bush have the potential to be used to locate the bad guy.

Be sure to deny entry doors.

Doors leading to your parking lot and from the parking lot to your home must be as secure as the front door. Keep them locked and reinforce them if required.

If you park your car in the driveway, do not leave the garage door opener inside. Thieves’ common tactic is to break into a car parked in the driveway, grab the garage door opener, use it, and clear the parking lot.

If you are going to park in the driveway, take the garage door opener with you. Close your parking door at night and when you are not on extended cycles. Most parking door systems have automatic locking mechanisms. Use it.

Secure the parking light release lever. If your parking lot has windows, it has a security insecurity door.

All a bad guy has to do is break the window and pull the door’s security cord, which facilitates a simple ingress and egress.

One way to circumvent this break-in procedure is to take a cable tie and thread it through the release lever.

It is much more difficult for a bad guy to drop the latch because he does not have the correct lever from the position where he is putting his arm in the parking space.

If you need to drop the latch, pulling hard on the cable will break the cable ties.

Improving the security of the smart living space

A smart dwelling starts with understanding the possible points of entry for a cybercriminal. Each Smart device has its connection, is usually connected to a dwelling’s WiFi network or smartphone, and gadgets can be entered via apps or through an online portal.

Owners also have to embrace that a significant part of smart gadgets’ information is continuously sent to users by mail.

With this in mind, hackers often use phishing tactics to get information.

Phishing involves sending emails that look very official and legitimate but are just an attempt to get you to share a password, username, or other personal information.

Any Internet-supported gadget connected to a smart home should have secondary or multi-component authentication.

In most cases, this can be able in the “settings” sector of the gadget. This is a more secure way to identify you as an authorized user of the gadget. The secondary authorization can change from a preferred vacation space or pet name to a uniquely generated code.

This numerous-step authentication causes it to be more complicated for hackers to gain entry to gadgets, even if they have a username and password. Monitoring Smart devices with a smartphone while on a public network has its dangers, mainly if the smartphone’s settings are set to “connect automatically.”

Even without smart home controllers in use, connecting to a public WiFi network is a daring endeavor. This can provide a hacker with simple entry to your gadgets and, at greatest, more personal details.

Smart homes can carry out life more comfortable and offer more security than ever before.

They additionally can expose us to more cyber-attacks. Use the best practices when modifying and sustaining smart gadgets and enjoy them with less anxiety.

Home Protected by a Security System

Some systems propose fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as part of the whole living place security system. This is an acceptable added security for your place of living and provides valuable security properties, but they will not make a home more burglary-proof.

Living space security can be as complicated or as easy as you want it to be. With some thought and an optimal plan of action, homeowners can choose the most utilized security options for their specific circumstances.

Safety Considerations for the Living Space

Equipment

Securing your place of living is not restricted to a few alarms scattered around. These days, there are thousands of pieces of equipment to choose from that have the potential to contribute to securing your place of living, some obvious, some not so obvious.

Let’s talk about what a security system is based on in the functionality of its elements.

Security cameras

From clunky monitoring cameras like Lorex to distinguished Google Nest numbers, security cameras accept us to see what’s going on inside and outside our home.

Video surveillance

In previous years, video surveillance became one of the most popular places of living security setups because it makes it easier for people to see firsthand what’s going on in and around their living place.

Video surveillance technology has increased by leaps and bounds, from yesteryear’s grainy security images to the high-end cameras of today.

According to the FBI, on average, only about 13 percent of burglaries are solved by police, and recovering the victim’s property is even less likely to happen. 

Much of this has to do with the lack of physical evidence at the scene of a crime. Without eyewitnesses or fingerprints, it is increasingly difficult to reconstruct who perpetrated the crime.

Safety Considerations for the Living Space for Home use

A more substantial and apparent camera may be the most sought-after alternative, as it helps deter crimes from actually occurring instead of more expensive hidden cameras that require added hardware.

Video images provide the police with the proof needed to catch a perpetrator if he were to break into your home, which in turn helps you recover any stolen property that may be taken in the event of a burglary.

The nominal value of installing and caring for a video surveillance system pales with a burglary or home invasion’s total value.

According to the FBI, the average dollar loss per burglary in the U.S. is $2,185, which is significantly cheaper than the cost of running a video surveillance system.

It’s no wonder intruders keep coming back to the same house. After all, not only have they learned how to gain entry, but they have a detailed knowledge of where you may be hiding your most prized possessions. So, the addition of a surveillance camera can help your place of living from further break-ins.

Security Sensors

Sensors are the key elements of some security system and come in a diversity of forms, from wired to wireless configurations:

Motion

If you only have enough money to purchase a security sensor, we suggest using a motion sensor, which, you guessed, discovers motion within a specific radius.

Some motion sensors can distinguish between people and animals, perfect for those with pets who want to avoid Scruffy’s constant alerts.

Some sensors even allowed us to change the sensitivity, which means individuals can customize them for their pets, whether it’s an eight-pound cat or an eighth-pound dog.

Contact

Contact sensors have to be placed on doors and windows on the first floor of a home.

Carried out in two parts, one going on the door or window and the other on its frame, we were alerted whenever the door or window was opened or closed when the system was armed.

Glass breakage

Sometimes, burglars break through glass windows instead of opening them, and for those cases, there are glass break sensors, most of which have adjustable sensitivity.

Place glass breakage sensors on second-floor windows that the motion sensors do not cover; having the two types of sensors close to each other is negligible. The motion sensor would also capture the glass breakage motion.

Features

Those are the basics that will keep someplace of living safe, but these days, improving home security goes way beyond security.

Linked with other connected gadgets, security systems made our lives safer and more convenient; let us tell you why.

Home Automation

These days, you are not required to turn on the light switch, for the time being, dismantle your security system or even unlock the door manually.

Rather, you can modify IoT or Internet of Things gadgets to activate each other automatically.

Smart Assistant Integrations:

Company	Name of System	System Components	Price
abode	Iota	The base station (motion sensor and camera built-in), key fob, entry sensor	$299
abode	Essentials Starter Kit	Gateway, entry sensor, motion sensor, key fob	$279
ADT	Video Package	Keypad, motion, entry, and glass break sensors, keyring remote, smart lock, alarm, indoor camera, video doorbell	$773
ADT/ Samsung/ SmartThings	Starter Kit	ADT security hub, window and door detectors, motion sensor	$200
Alder Security	Base System and cameras	Touchscreen control panel, entry sensors, motion sensor, life safety sensors, YI Indoor camera, Kami Outdoor Camera	$400
Brinks	Home Complete with Video	A base station, a video doorbell, glass break sensor, cellular communicator	$500
Cove	Custom	Touch panel, door sensor, motion sensor, key remote	$354
Fortress	S6 Titan 3G/4G WiFi Classic Kit	Main panel, entry, motion, and glass break sensors, key fobs, key tags, panic button, siren	$269.99
Frontpoint	Custom	Frontpoint Hub, radio, door/ window sensor, motion sensor, glass break sensor, keypad, keychain remote, video doorbell, smart lock, indoor camera	$630
iSmartAlarm	Premier Home Security Package	Camera, base station, contact sensors, motion sensor	$149.99
Lifeshield	Security Advantage	The base station, keypad, keychain remote, wireless security tablet, motion, door/window, and fire safety sensors, indoor camera	$295.12
Link Interactive	Custom	Panel and cellular module, deadbolt, a doorbell camera, indoor camera, entry sensors	$734
Lorex	8-channel system	four outdoor cameras, one TB hard drive	$319
Minut	Point Smart Home Security Alarm	Point (a base station with built-in motion, glass break, temperature, humidity, light, mold, noise sensor, and siren)	$149
Nest	Nest Secure (no longer sold by Nest)	A base station, two motion/ entry sensors, two key fobs	$399
Notion	All-In-One	Motion sensors, bridge, contact sensor	$149
Protect America	Custom	Touchscreen control panel, door/window, motion, recessed door/window, garage door sensors, and indoor camera.	$358
Ring Alarm	Security Kit	A base station, keypad, contact sensors, motion sensors, range extender	$239
SimpliSafe	Summerfort System	Base Station, keypad, entry Sensors, Motion Sensors, glass break sensor, security camera, panic button, key fobs, siren	$559
Swann	8-channel system	6 cameras, one or two TB hard drive	$899.99
Swann	SWDVK-445802V	2 cameras, one TB hard drive	$200
Vivint	Basic security system	The panel, sensors, lock, a video doorbell, smoke and CO sensors, indoor camera	$844
Wyze	Wyze Sense and Wyze Cam Pan	bridge, two contact sensors, motion sensor, camera	$60

Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant can keep an eye on various IoT gadgets, from finished security systems to smart cameras and lights.

Amazon Echo and Google Home have extensive compatibility with different gadgets. Alexa works with more smart home devices and others’ capabilities, yet Google is smarter when talking about answering issues and understanding your routine.

Note: When Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri were tested, Google Assistant performed best, answering 93% of questions correctly. 

As you realize grow your smart living place, you will undoubtedly have to find resolutions to get some gadgets to communicate with each other, utilizing apps like IFTTT and Stringify, which accept you to make automation between gadgets.

Costs

The benefits, and the need for smart security, are quite a lot. Fundamentally, the costs will fall into several different categories: set up, testing, and hosting, which are sometimes optional, installation fees for companies with professional installation and activation fees, which fortunately have become very rare.

Equipment

While security systems used to be very expensive, disruptors like SimpliSafe and Ring Alarm have changed things when it comes to price. It is feasible to spend less than $100 on smart security for the living place, depending on the home’s volume.

The good thing about most of these systems was the proportion of customization we had at hand. Being able to choose from a diversity of packs or make our systems can mean that we are not required to purchase any unwanted sets, unnecessarily increasing costs.

To save on equipment costs, choose a company that offers refurbished systems, which can be up to 20% to 30% cheaper than new systems. 

Installation

Some companies have a professional installation alternative, which often ranges from $80 to $150, and some companies require it, such as ADT.

If you’re trying to find a way to save money, choose a system with DIY installation. However, professional installation may be workable for an older adult or someone with mobility issues.

Do-it-yourself versus professional

Beyond the fact that DIY installation is free, it is more strenuous and time-consuming than professional installation, usually costs about $100 or more.

In the end, however, security professionals are not required to modify most DIY systems today.

Wired or wireless:

Wireless systems tend to be vastly simpler to modify than wired systems connected to a home’s existing electrical system.

These days, several sensors are simple to use with extended battery life, so we forget about them when we set them up.

Also, wireless systems have the virtue of not relying on a home’s power source.

To examine some incredible wireless setups to jumpstart your living place security, check out our review of superior wireless cameras and superior outdoor wireless cameras.

Unless your outlet circumstance is not ideal, we suggest choosing a mostly wireless system rather than one that requires wiring.

Companies

Criminals break into homes because they believe the rewards far outweigh the potential compromise of being caught.

For that reason, they tend to avoid homes that have an active security system because the commitment of being caught radically increases and greatly outweighs any potential rewards.

Two Top-Rated Security Systems for Security Level

ADT Security

It is one of the most important companies in the U.S.

When it comes to security, life safety monitoring, and automation, few other companies compare.

Their state-of-the-art workplace security systems and affordable pay-per-month projects are one of the most popular configurations.

In contrast to the Front point, ADT requires professional installation. However, ADT gives much more configurations, upgrades, and equipment than a Front point. You can’t go wrong with either.

ADT’s massive sector coverage makes it the preferred alternative among anyone in the U.S. or Canada.

ADT Services

Customer checkup centers:

Six centers were delegated throughout the U.S. To track your place of living all day long, all year long.

• Theft monitoring
• Temperature monitoring
• Flood monitoring
• Fire and smoke monitoring
• Carbon monoxide monitoring
• Medical alert monitoring

ADT Pulse

This is probably the best property that ADT has to offer. ADT Pulse belongs to the causes why many choose ADT above the rest, given that it offers you total control over your place of living from basically anywhere around the world.

Its security, control, and automation, all in one working platform

ADT video surveillance features

• Video recording
• Video has encrypted data.

Home Video Access facilitates the ability to monitor gadgets from any T.V. in the living space.

The remote video access for individuals monitors living simultaneously from anyplace using their tablet or smartphone. It even facilitates you to playback previously recorded clips.

• Email notifications
• Motion detection

ADT video surveillance suite

• Wireless security cameras
• Indoor Color Security Cameras
• ADT Security Indoor Color Security Cameras
• Dome Security Cameras
• ADT Security Service Dome Security Cameras
• Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
• ADT Security Service DVR Digital Video Recorder
• Quad Splitter
• ADT Home Security Home Security Quad Splitter
• Video Duplicator
• ADT Security Service’s Video Duplicator for Life Safety and Security

ADT Wireless Security Features

• Quick installation
• Battery operated

ADT Wireless Security Suite

• Wireless Motion Detector
• ADT Home Security Wireless Motion Detector
• Wireless Video Camera
• ADT Security Indoor Color Security Camera
• Wireless Door Sensor
• ADT Home Security Service Wireless Door Sensor

ADT Remote Entry Features

• Online Portal
• Mobile Access
• Home Controls
• Customizable alerts

ADT Remote Entry Suite

• Thermostat
• Mobile Access

ADT medical alert functionalities

• Fast response time
• Extended range capability
• ADT medical alert equipment
• Two-way voice intercom

Fall Discovery Pendant: Coincident with the third generation or 3G medical alert system, the fall discovery pendant will determine if a fall has occurred, prompting an ADT professional to contact you for assistance.

Personal Help Wristband and Pendant is 100% waterproof devices can call for support at the press of a button.

Frontpoint Security

Frontpoint:

Considered by several to be the impeccable alternative in living place security systems, Frontpoint gives the custody you require and the truthful quality of service that sets them apart from the rivalry.

Installation is do-it-yourself, which means that you will have the system shipped to you and can have your system up and running in 30 minutes.

There is no requirement for a professional installer to come out and drill holes throughout your home because the entire system is wireless and controlled by a cellular signal, making it spectacularly secure and simple to arrange.

Frontpoint Services

Three affordable plans:

Custodial, friendly, and final! Each plan provides a complete set of security hardware to ensure that your place of living remains secure, regardless of whether you are there or not.

Wireless and Cellular – 100% cellular monitoring so that you can easily and conveniently control your security system from your smartphone. 

Geographic services

Geographic services allow your phone to know your location so that it can use some rules to your alarm systems for homes. When it crosses the “geofence” or sector, you have configured it to be near your place of living or office (location of your alarm).

Text messages and email signals: if an alarm is triggered, you will be notified in a quick manner attached with the Frontpoint Check Center. Also:

• Intrusion protection
• Environmental protection
• Remote access and control
• Crash and crash protection
• Live video streaming
• Automated door locks
• Energy management
• Frontpoint control equipment
• Control panel
• Touch surface
• Remote controls (key fobs and panic pendants)
• Frontpoint sensor equipment
• Environmental sensors
• Forward camera and home automation kit
• Light control
• Door lock with keypad
• Smart thermostat

DIY security is becoming more common because it lowers costs and makes it easier for the user to have more control over where their set is installed, which is a necessity for most.

In case you get robbed.

No matter how many layers of security you place on your living space, there is always the chance that a bad guy will manage to get in and grab your stuff. You need to prepare for that contingency. Here’s how:

Catalog expensive items and engrave the I.D. number on them. Make a list of all your expensive items in a spreadsheet in Google Docs: firearms, cameras, portable P.C.s, T.V.s, video game systems, jewelry, etc. If it ends up being stolen, this record will help you file a claim with your insurance company to reimburse what was stolen.

If feasible, engrave your driver’s license number in a hidden/obscure section of your valuables. Lousy people often try to pawn stolen property. If you can provide an identification number on your stolen items, the police can use it to track and probably recover your property.

Complete Guide to Home Security: FAQ

How do I protect my home from burglars?

• Lock the doors
• Block the windows
• Light up the landscaping
• Don’t forget the garage.
• Set up a security system
• Lockdown your WiFi network
• Eliminate hiding places
• Add security cameras
• Get a safe
• Use home automation

Check this guide for protecting your home from burglars.

What is the best security for a home?

We’ve listed our top-rated home security systems for 2021 (ratings calculated as of August 2020) to assist you in choosing the one that best fits your claims. They are:

• Frontpoint
• Cove
• SimpliSafe
• Vivint
• Morada
• Link friendly
• Doorbell Alarm
• Blue by ADT
• Xfinity Home
• Brinks Home Security
• ADT

How can I improve my home security strategies?

• Don’t keep valuable items in plain sight.
• Forget about “hiding a key.”
• Don’t make them understand you’re gone.
• Don’t hide your home too much.
• Avoid doors with glass near the handle.
• Invest in motion-activated lights
• Keep your second floor secure.
• Have the police inspect your place
• Window locks
• Use common sense

Conclusion

It can be said that security in living is a subject that cannot go unnoticed. It is possibly the most remarkable, given that this offers security in several ways. At present, there are different measures that you can take to avoid that your place of life is stolen. 

In the era where we are, the technology in the security sector has advanced to such a level that you can be in the office monitor your place.