Remote Control Home Alarm Provides Additional Security

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Some painters were recommended to me by referral. By all accounts, they were hard workers and reputable.  Because of my normal home security obsessed nature, I’d generally do some type of background check on the owner and get something of a background check from him on his employees. However, because of the time crunch of the project, and the fact I was away while my interior was being painted, that wasn’t an option here.

Fortunately, I have the ADT Pulse™ home automation system that lets me check in on every aspect of my homes activity remotely.

After the floor sanders left the home, the painters came in right after. I was able to monitor and watch their progress via my internal security cameras and monitor my home security, as well. I have some funny video of painters face up against my cameras like curious creatures happening upon technology in a wilderness PBS documentary. Funny stuff!

Anyway, the remote home control system allows me to set up automatic recording of the cameras every time a motion sensor detects movement. The painters were given specific instruction of where to paint and where not to paint, which also meant where on the house they were allowed to be.

For example, the bedrooms were NOT to be painted, which meant there should be absolutely no triggering of the motion detector or cameras in that wing of the home. And, I can happily say at no point in time my cameras automatically record the standard 30 seconds of video when the motions are tripped in the bedroom wing.  I know this because I was able to access my system from thousands of miles away over the internet and see all movement and recorded incidents.

Further, in the office area, I have all kinds of technology that I wasn’t able to remove from the home and there are office cabinets that nobody should be snooping in. The painters had a job to do in that area and my cameras detected and recorded constant movement. In reviewing the footage, I concluded they in fact did their jobs and at no time snooped or violated my home security. I love that “I know”.

And finally after they left, the concern was they now knew the “lay of the land” and every aspect of my home security. So if anyone of the painters was a part time burglar, he was able to case my home from the inside, and would know how to easily break in. He could also unlock a window to help him out.

However, my home alarm has sensors on each window and upon remotely monitoring my system I determined one of the windows was in fact left propped open.  More than likely this was done by accident. So, I called a friend over to lock it and make sure all the other doors and windows were properly locked.

Once my friend left, I was able to remotely set the alarm via my iPhone to “away status” which meant all the sensors were armed including the motion detectors. Even if I couldn’t get a friend over to shut and lock all the windows, I could still set the alarm and it would “protest” the open window but still activate. And even if the “painter/burglar” came in through the unlocked window, the motion sensor would pick him up and go off. Nice. Thanks ADT Pulse™!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

Home Security Cameras Keep Contractors Honest

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I’m in Mexico, but by the time this is posted I’ll be manning the watch tower at my fort. While I want to detail every adventure and post it as a status update (this country is very interesting), I haven’t, and I’ll never post in social media, that’s just plain nuts.

So anyways, while I’m gone I’m having a considerable amount of work done to the castle such as floor sanding and painting. It’s all stuff that’s better off being done while I’m gone because it’s somewhat unhealthy (and very inconvenient) to live around.  Painting and the dust and polyurethane fumes generated from floor sanding is just too much for babies. Plus I’m a delicate flower.

I have no less than half dozen workers in and out of my home over the course of 2 weeks and lots can go wrong when the homeowner isn’t there to observe. Mistakes can be made and stuff can be stolen. I locked up most of what’s valuable, but things like desktop PCs are just too difficult to remove and relocate.

But no fear, thanks to my automated home system I’m able to monitor every detail of the process. My home security cameras can be accessed from my laptop and iPhone to monitor where the contractors are supposed to be and more importantly where they aren’t supposed to be in the home while I’m away.

The first contractor was the floor sander. And, did that process need my involvement from thousands of miles away?!  When they first got to the home they needed to access the fusebox to tap into it so the sander wouldn’t constantly pop a breaker. They never told me they needed to do that. Anyway, I directed them to the fusebox from afar and monitored the bosses’ activity through my home and from my mechanical room camera. It’s a good thing too because he ran his power cable out the window and when he was done he never shut the window. I knew this because my ADT Pulse™ home automation system alerted me that the window was open because of a sensor installed on it.  It rained and snowed that night and if I didn’t call him back to shut the window, it would have been a wet mess that would have caused interior damage.

Prior to leaving, I had shut off the heat because you don’t want the forced hot air furnace blowing dust around or sucking dust into a return air when sanding. But when he applied the polyurethane it was too cold inside and didn’t dry enough for him to complete the job over the two days allocated for the project. If he had to come back again on a third day he was going to charge me extra he said.

I was able to avert an extra charge and turn my home automated heat back on from Mexico via my iPhone and even raise the temperature to a toasty 75 to quickly dry the floor. Problem solved!

And then, there were the painters. Oh boy. That’s another story.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

Dumb Pizza Burglar Stuck In Vent

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Oh the beauty of stupidity. Not a day goes by that some dolt breaks the law and makes himself look like a total buffoon.

This burglar decided to break into a pizza parlor through an exit: the smoke vent. If you’ve ever walked behind a strip mall where there is a restaurant you know which unit houses the fry-o-lator, it’s the one that has globs of grease dripping down the side of the building via the vent.

Mr. Grease Monkey climbed inside the vent, got stuck, fell halfway through the duct, screamed for help and cops showed up and saw two dangling legs sticking out of the vent!

Police said he was extremely distraught and shouted for assistance. Firefighters took roughly 30 minutes to dislodge him.

The Times Union reports in “his mugshot, his face, white T-shirt and jeans were coated in grease and grime. The dumb criminal was on parole after being released from prison on Jan. 27, 2010. Records show he has served five previous prison stints for burglary or attempted burglary dating back to 1992.”

Sounds like he has a problem.

Officials say he did extensive damage to the duct and the fire suppression system. More than likely the damage done would equate to thousands of dollars in repairs and money lost due to the restaurants inability to serve their customers.

Often burglars do more damage in dollars to the home/business than they are able to steal.

Whether a commercial or residential installation a security system goes far to protect the premises. Home security alarms equipped with home security cameras, glass break sensors and signage is a great investment to protect your investment.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADTPulse on Fox News.

Springtime Home Improvement Scams Coming

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This is the time of the year they come out of the woodwork. Scammers knocking door to door with promises of quality work for exceptionally low prices. The scams often include driveway repaving, chimney repairs, ductwork cleaning, and roofing scams. Toss a criminal handy man in there and you end up missing a jewelry box or wallet.

It doesn’t take much for a contractor to appear legitimate. A simple uniform, business card, truck lettering and a 4 color brochure will easily give the impression of legitimacy. And they may be legitimate, but that doesn’t mean you should just fork over a down payment.

Always do business with someone you know, like, and trust based on a referral. Consider well known brands that often vet out contractors/employees and have zero tolerance policies for shoddy work.

The Better Business Bureau is a great resource for consumers looking to deal with reputable companies. This is your best resource. Look them up on the local BBB website and search the internet to see if there are complaints

Get at least 3 bids to see who has the right price, and that may not be the cheapest either.

Confirm they are properly licensed and insured. In Boston, the Boston Herald reports “state Division of Professional Licensure said it conducted a sting in which it contacted electricians who advertised on Craigslist but did not include a license number, and asked them to come to a home to install a light fixture or socket. When the contractors arrived, officials say they were asked by state investigators posing as the homeowners to produce license information. Officials said some of the unlicensed electricians did not use their last names or demanded cash for payment.”

Get and check references.

Never provide a deposit of more than 25% and never give that deposit until the day they show to do the job.

Find out what kind of warranty they have and get it in writing.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADTPulse on Fox News.

Home Invader Claims Insanity Defense

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Certainly when someone hacks another person to death it is safe to say something is very wrong with them.

In criminal trials, Wikipedia defines “the insanity defenses are possible defenses by excuse, an affirmative defense by which defendants argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law because they were legally insane at the time of the commission of alleged crimes. A defendant attempting such a defense will often be required to undergo a mental examination beforehand. The legal definition of “insane” is, in this context, quite different from psychiatric definitions of “mentally ill”. When the insanity defense is successful, the defendant is usually committed to a psychiatric hospital.”

His defense was that he was insane at the time because of a rough childhood at the hands of an abusive mother. “We taught him the difference between right and wrong,” said Christopher Gribble’s mother. “I believe he knew it was wrong to kill.”

The home invasion goes back to 2009 where a gang of late teens and 20 something’s broke into a home while the mom and daughter were sleeping. The dad was away on business. In the course of events the mom died of a machete wound and the daughter was severely injured.

New Hampshire law makers are reexamining their death penalty law. The House is voting whether to make home invasions like this murder, a capital crime.

I say go for it. However it won’t be a deterrent. Criminals are criminals because the law has no consequence to them. Therefore you must protect yourself. At least lock your doors and invest in a home security system.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADTPulse™ on Fox News.

Android Apps Infected With A Virus

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Are you one off the 33% of all mobile phones running the Android operating system?  The official Android Market is run by Google and there are over 150,000 applications with an estimated 3.7 billion downloads. More than 250,000 applications have been downloaded with a malicious virus.

The LA Times reports “Google is remotely removing virus-infected Android apps from thousands of phones and tablets in its continuing cleanup of what has become known as the “Droid Dream” scare. Last Tuesday, Google removed 21 free apps that were hacked and loaded with malware, and then distributed on the company’s Android Marketplace.”

Newer reports say more than 50 apps have been infected and removed.

From Google’s blog: “For affected devices, we believe that the only information the attacker(s) were able to gather was device-specific (IMEI/IMSI, unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices, and the version of Android running on your device). But given the nature of the exploits, the attacker(s) could access other data.”

In response Google is remotely removing the malicious applications from affected devices. This remote application removal feature is one of many security controls the Android team can use to help protect users from malicious applications.

You may be consider this a violation of your privacy that Google can just go into your phone like that, but, first, you agreed to it in their terms and conditions and second they are doing you a service and protecting you from a potential identity theft situation.

Google is sending out emails to all those affected and sending notification via the device itself to let you know what has happened.

If you are unsure if your phone was infected or simply want to be safe, I’d suggest backing up your phones data and re-install the operating system. Contact your carrier or visit your phones manufacturer for instructions.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing mobile phone spyware on Good Morning America.

Black Money Washing Scam Plagues Naïve

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Get ready to cringe. The Nigerians really have cornered the market on scamming the unsuspecting. In business, if they were to have a niche’ their clientele are the extremely naïve, very gullible and stupidly vulnerable.

Florida seems to be their stop off point in the US as many “419” scams begin and end in Florida. I think part of the reason is the immense elder population. And when you have millions of older people with connections to the Internet, something bad is bound to happen due to their inexperience with the medium.

“In March the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit conducted a routine traffic stop and found $20,800 in cash, black construction paper the size of dollar bills, several bottles of commonly known substances and a list of ingredients necessary to complete the “Black Wash/ Money Washing” scam.”

Honestly, I’d never heard of this one until recently, which would make me a target too!

Here’s the scam:

Scammers send thousands of phish emails regarding an unknown inheritance. Ok right there should be a red flag. But, for many who think their ship has come in, it’s opportunity. Unfortunately.

Once engaged the victim is told of the mass amounts of money needing to be snuck in/out of the country and it is dyed black to avoid detection by custom officials. OMG.

Once a meeting is arranged the victim is shown a trunk full of dyed black money, then to whet the appetite of the victims a few of the bills are pulled out and a magic solution cleans off a few nice crisp $100.00 bills. The victim now frothing at the mouth wants more.

The ruse is to get the victim to buy thousands of dollars of this magic cleaning solution for the promise of making hundreds of thousands of dollars. WOW.

Like a bait and switch shell game or 3 cards Monte, there is a bit of entertainment value in this scam and anyone who enjoys watching a stupid show like the Bachelor can get taken. Beware.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing scammers and thieves on The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch.

Creepy iPhone App Invites Security Risks

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This is just nuts: “Situationist is an iPhone app that makes your everyday life more thrilling and unpredictable. It alerts members to each other’s proximity and gets them to interact in random “situations”. These situations vary from the friendly “Hug me for 5 seconds exactly” or “Compliment me on my haircut”, to the subversive e.g. “Help me rouse everyone around us into revolutionary fervor and storm the nearest TV station”. Members simply upload their photo and pick the situations they want to happen to them from a shortlist, in the knowledge that they might then occur anywhere, and at any time.”

The application comes equipped the ability to upload your photo and it turns your mobile into a GPS bull’s-eye.

Can you say “Please stalk me!?!”

I suppose there are plenty of people that like a surprise and plenty of others that enjoy the state of anticipation. For those types, this app may be the life distraction they need to get through the day.

The application developers address the issue of stalking asking the question in caps “WILL IT NOT ATTRACT STALKERS AND OTHER UNSAVOURY TYPES?” and give a rambling answer revolving around “moderation” and “vetting”.

In reality, this is one of the single greatest tools a stalker would have at their disposal to pay unwanted attention to an attention seeking thrillist.

OK folks, I think it’s plainly obvious that to download and activate this would mean you probably have too much time on your hands and not enough drama in your life. Seriously, all you need is get into a dysfunctional relationship and all your problems will be solved.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover.

18 Snagged In Home Invasion Ring

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When a municipality has an organized ring of home invaders you know they have problems.

In Fresno Country California a special task force including officers from the sheriff’s department, SWAT teams, and local police agencies had to be created to conquer the growing problem of home invasions in their district. As you know a home invasion occurs when the home owner is at home, there is forcible entry, a weapon is often involved and violence and theft is on the invaders agenda.

In states like New Hampshire the “Live Free or Die” state they have actually passed laws making the crime of home invasion a consideration for the death penalty.

In a concentrated period of time, there were at least 6 home invasions carried out by this gang. They used a common ruse to gain entry by posing as census workers and in some cases as tree trimmers.

When they pose as tree trimmers it often involves the homeowner being taken into the back yard while the invaders go in through the front door and ransack the home.

CrimeVoice.com reports “And in one case they actually took a photograph of the child in the house.  (They) threatened if they did call police; they had a picture of the child, knew what they looked like, and would harm them.  Jewelry has yet to be recovered; the task force did help uncover $25,000 in cash, along with eight weapons ranging from pistols to one automatic shotgun that was also seized during the serving of dozens of search warrants”

Prevent home invasions:

Never talk to strangers via an open or screen door. Home-invaders pose as delivery people, law enforcement or public workers.

If someone is in distress tell him or her you will call the police for them. Don’t open the door for them.

Under no circumstances do you open the door unless you get phone numbers to call their superiors. Even if that means making them wait outside while you call 411.

One reason your house is chosen is someone tipped off the home-invader that you have valuables. You may have done it via social media or your friends or children or baby sitter might have unintentionally bragged. Loose lips sink ships!

Install a home alarm. Be proactive with the help of ADT Pulse™, a new interactive smart home solution that goes beyond traditional home security to provide a new level of control, accessibility and connection with the home.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse™ on Fox News.

Stalker Caught in Madonna’s Mansion

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The songstress wasn’t home at the time, but her security team was. Madonna’s London manse worth an estimated $10 million is equipped with security guards, cameras and a home alarm system. And while these are all effective layers of security and are often good deterrents they didn’t stop her stalker from breaking a window and climbing through.

However, her security team quickly picked up on the intrusion due to all the security technology in place and quickly apprehended him.

For most people, a basic home security system would do an effective job of keeping an intruder out or at least notifying law enforcement of a break-in and dispatch the police ASAP. However in the case of one of the world’s top 100 celebrities  security guards are necessary, and I believe she should have shatter proof glass film to prevent window breaks. Shatter proof glass film is affordable and doesn’t affect the clarity of the window.

The Sun reports “Madonna has had several stalkers. In October one was found with an ice pick after scrawling “Meet me” outside her New York apartment. Ex-Beatle George Harrison survived being stabbed by an intruder in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, in 1999.”

Stalking is messy. Stalking is about domination. It is one or more persons continually making efforts to control another person’s life and thoughts by paying unwanted attention. Stalkers become obsessive investigators, interrogators, intimidators and terrorists. According to current statistics, almost a million and a half people are being stalked by an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, ex-wife, estranged husband, estranged wife, secret admirer, or an infatuated mentally unstable individual.

The most effective deterrent is an acute awareness of your environment at all times and investing in your security. Physical self defense education is necessary to give a person an edge in the event of attack. Home security systems and home security cameras are layers of protection that in most cases are effective deterrents.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.