10 Considerations When Choosing a Home Security System

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1.    Do some research. What is the installer’s reputation and history?  How large is the company?  How many current customers?  Is it local or nationwide?  Is their primary business security?

2.    How “new” is the home security product? Today’s home security systems are far more superior than those available in past years.

3.    Does the home security company offer monitoring? A reputable home security company should provide its own central station monitoring instead of having another company monitor for them.

4.   Does the home security company have redundant monitoring facilities? Make sure they have backup monitoring centers throughout the country in case of natural or manmade disaster.

5.   Does the home security company’s monitoring facility have back-up power? Find out if the monitoring facility has gas or electric-powered generators – as well as battery back-up to ensure that monitoring continues despite power failures.

6.    Spend time thinking about the “amount” of security you need. The basic elements of a standard system include a key pad, a control panel, a siren, an inside motion detector, at least two door contacts, as well as connection to a central monitoring station for around the clock coverage. I’d recommend cameras too.

7.    Secure your home from “hidden” household dangers. Equip your home with effective smoke, fire, carbon monoxide and flood detection systems.

8.    Ease-of-use and convenience to ensure a high level of usage. Be sure to choose something that can be armed and disarmed easily by all family members.

9.    Make sure the system you install has a battery back-up. If the power goes out, you want the monitoring and protection continuous.

1.    What other benefits does the company offer?

# A money-back service guarantee?

# Guarantee against theft?

# A relocation package so a new security system is installed in case you move?

# Is there a Web site that provides customer service?

# Is there a website that you can access your system and control it remotely?

Be sure to spend time with your security specialist to develop a security plan and system that meets you and your family’s specific needs.

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

2010 Saw Dramatic Rise In Home Invasions

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Maybe it’s the economy or maybe people are just getting nuttier, but my news alerts have been pouring in describing horrific home-invasions with many resulting in growing levels of violence.

In some places, there is a correlation between home invasions and organized crime, drugs, prostitution and gambling.

In Calgary, our neighbor to the north, the Calgary Herald reports “The violent home confrontations typically see victims assaulted, threatened and bound with duct tape, plastic zip ties or rope while thieves ransack their homes for cash and valuables.”

It seems that home invasion has become a crime that knows no boundaries.

The pseudo good news is in 2/3rd of the home invasion cases the parties involved (invaded and invaders) were heavily into lowlife activities. So if you are not dealing drugs or involved in gang activity then you’re less susceptible.

However in almost 1/3rd of the cases the victims were people who kept large sums of money in their homes. So if you are a person who stuffs your mattress with cash you are more vulnerable.

If you fit into the category of mattress stuffer:

#1 Put your money in the bank! It makes no sense to have wads of cash around. Even if it’s in a safe, a home invader will force you to open it.

#2 If you insist on having wads of cash around then tell no-one! Home invaders are often deprived people in a position of trust who turn on their victim.

#3 Take some of that money and invest it into a home security system. For about a dollar a day your home can be fully monitored and alarmed.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Happy Holidays and Thank You From Robert Siciliano and Home Security Source

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25 years ago I was in a situation where I needed some help. A man appeared out of nowhere and seemed to have sensed my desperation and offered assistance. I accepted. Up until that day “It was all about me”.  When I asked why he stopped to offer assistance and go out of his way as he did, he simply said, “Sometimes people just need help” That simple act and those 5 words changed my life.

In these posts we spend a lot of time talking about “bad-guys”. I point out their motivations, methods and techniques and what – you -, the kind, and nice, civilized person needs to be aware of to protect yourself and family.

Scribbling about these home security issues every day requires reading about negative awful things on a daily basis.  But I’m OK with it.

Ya know why?

Because I care about you and I want to help. Caring lights a fire under me and motivates me to keep you informed. Like a musician has to play, I have to remind you to keep your head up.

Although the chances of something bad ever happening is slim, we know there is a chance. I know you can only read and re-read these tips so many times and some of you occasionally drop out, then drop back in to refresh your memory on how to protect yourself.

We are all in this together. We are a community and need each other to move forward, and to help each other. This life, if we are lucky enough to live till our eighties, (like my grandfather who past this year) goes by fast.

Throughout life we make choices and decisions that determine our destiny. I believe we are in control of about 90% of that destiny and about 10% is beyond our control. It’s generally not “what happens” to you, but “how you choose to respond” or deal with each circumstance that determines the outcome.

From my little corner of the universe, my goal is to keep you informed of your options so you can prevent evil from messing up your life.

We thank you so much for listening. We hope so much that it’s making a difference. I am personally grateful that you care enough to take responsibility for this part of life and for living consciously about your personal security.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Make it a safe and secure one.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source.

Boston’s Crime Fighting Vigilante

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No it’s not me, at least not to the level of “Boston Dawna”. Although I am that guy who lives in that house that all those within a 5 mile radius do not like because of his boisterous territorial behavior. I do however have the State Police, City Police and even the Environmental Police on speed-dial (no kidding). I’ve probably called the authorities at least 200 times in the past 7 years.

All of this has occurred within eyeshot of my residence. I don’t live in a crime infested neighborhood, but I do live in an area where people “get away” near the ocean and they feel they can do whatever they want because of its proximity to the ocean. People have a false belief that the ocean is the Wild West and there is no law. The law in my neighborhood is echoed by the PA system I have bolted to the side of my house.

To my credit I’ve had at least 20 people arrested and at least another 50 fined for offences including vandalism, assault, drug possession, public drinking, loitering, public lewdness, and illegal poaching of shellfish. Some have been wanted by the Department of Homeland Security and others have been wanted El Salvadorian gang members and have been deported.

So far my front teeth haven’t been knocked out by criminals like “Boston Dawna” has, who is a hair dresser by day and crime fighter by night. The Boston Globe reports “All I did was neighborhood watch,’’ she says, “to an extreme level.’’ “You know how people have gaydar?’’ she says. “I have burglardar.’’

She spent the past 39 years fighting crime in Venice Beach. “The LA media refer to her simply as “the Batman of Venice Beach.’’

“Some people drink and do drugs. I chase criminals,’’ she said as she walked around Boston recently, chain-smoking and getting reacquainted with the city (she was born in Hull, Mass and grew up in Brookline, Mass). “There’s no greater high than catching a crook.’’

I identify with this woman in so many ways it frightens me. With the exception of the chain smoking, she is me and I am her. Although I don’t walk around in a nightgown crime fighting like she does. I never really leave my house and I just pick up the phone and have law enforcement do it. So actually she is much tougher than I am. What we share mostly is a philosophy. Her philosophy is if she sees something she says something.

I repeat: “if YOU see something, says something!” But say it to the police. Intervening with criminals can be dangerous. But picking up the phone is definitely a safer option. It isn’t OK that people just do whatever they want. Make a call. Your neighborhood will be better for it. Thanks for what you do Dawna.

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

Tips to Keep Your Online Shopping Secure

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With Christmas coming fast, this is a last ditch effort to enlighten, empower and protect online shoppers.  The abridged source of the following information is from the National Cyber Alert System by US-CERT, a government organization.

How do attackers target online shoppers?

  • Targeting vulnerable computers – If you do not take steps to protect your computer from viruses or other malicious code, an attacker may be able to gain access to your computer and all of the information on it.
  • Creating fraudulent sites and email messages – Unlike traditional shopping, where you know that a store is actually the store it claims to be, attackers can create malicious websites that appear to be legitimate or email messages that appear to have been sent from a legitimate source.
  • Intercepting insecure transactions – If a vendor does not use encryption, an attacker may be able to intercept your information as it is being transmitted.

How can you protect yourself?

  • Use and maintain anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware software.
  • Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date – Install software updates so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities.
  • Evaluate your software’s settings – The default settings of most software enable all available functionality. Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need.
  • Do business with reputable vendors – Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established vendor.
  • Take advantage of security features – Passwords and other security features add layers of protection if used appropriately
  • Be wary of emails requesting information – Attackers may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information.
  • Check privacy policies – Before providing personal or financial information, check the website’s privacy policy.
  • Make sure your information is being encrypted – Many sites use SSL, or secure sockets layer, to encrypt information.
  • Use a credit card – There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, and you may not have the same level of protection for your debit card.
  • Check your statements – Keep a record of your purchases and copies of confirmation pages, and compare them to your bank statements. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Cyber Monday on the Mike and Juliet Show.



Who Is Really Knocking On Your Door?

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The door bell rings and a man is standing in the doorway with a clip board, measuring tape and he is wearing a tool belt, a green jumpsuit and has a badge saying he is from the local water company. The homeowner, a woman says “Hello, how can I help you?” and he informs the homeowner that he is with the water company and needs to come inside to check the “colorization” and PH of the person’s water.

The homeowner lets him in, he runs the faucet, she goes and takes care of the baby who is crying, and he sees a wallet sitting on the kitchen table.

The woman comes back about 3 minutes later, he produces a vile of water and says “everything is fine, sorry for the inconvenience, have a nice day.”

Was he with the water company? NO. Did he steal the wallet? NO. Do you know why he didn’t steal the wallet? Because the man with the clip board, measuring tape, wearing a tool belt, in a green jumpsuit with a badge saying he is from the local water company was ME. Watch it HERE.

I did this on the Montel Williams Show to prove a point. This is a common trick a burglar may use to invade your home in the daytime.  The biggest problem you face is that you are too nice. When the doorbell rings, most people’s first inclination is “how can I help you?” We want to help, we want to accommodate and when someone knocks on the door, it becomes personal to us.

We are a kind, trusting and civil species. We trust by default. We want to help, we want to accommodate and we don’t ever want to think “bad” is on the other side of the door or “bad” will ever happens to us.

The bad-guy knows this and he targets you, your mom, grandmother, grandfather and anyone else who answers the door. He may have shiny white teeth and even fresh minty breath. Beware.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

How the Grandparent Scam Works

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Remember when you were a kid, before “caller ID” (I’m showing my age here), you and your friends would make prank calls by picking up the phone and dialing any number and eventually someone would pick up the phone, you’d hang up, and laugh hard? Then do it another dozen times and with each call you would infuriate the caller, then laugh harder?

You learned that if you make enough calls, eventually you will get someone on the phone that was gullible and you could get a good laugh out of them over and over.

This same process/philosophy is what plays into telephone fraud scams. One of the easiest and most vile scams on the block is the “Grandparent Scam”.

The phone rings and an elderly person answers the phone. They may be slightly hard of hearing, and the caller says either “Grammy, Granny, Grandma, Nana, Nonna, Papa, Baba or Grandpa?”  The elderly person says ‘Yes” and the caller states “It’s your grandson!” When the elderly person responds and rattles off a name of a grandchild and says “Robby is that you”, the scammer responds “YES!” and knows he’s got a fish on the hook.

Now that the “relationship” has been established the scammer proceeds to prey upon the good nature of the grandparent and uses their love of their grandchild against them. The scammer begins to hem and haw that they’ve been arrested or are stranded or car broke down or lost their wallet and need the grandparent to wire some money to them. Once the grandparent agrees they instruct the victim to go the address of the local check cashing place that wires money and the scammer siphons as much as possible out of their victim.

This scam works so well because the victim is hooked within the first minute of the call. Once the predator sinks their teeth into their victim they will work on them until they have no money left in the world.

If there is someone in your life that could possibly, even remotely fall for this scam you need to educate them on what to look for. Put systems in place to make it difficult for them to make financial withdrawals without a cosigner.

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

How to Recover a Lost iPhone

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You may be one of the millions and millions who own and love your iPhone. What I love about mine is the ability to work from anywhere and I can also view my home security cameras through an iPhone application.  ADT Pulse provides customers with anywhere, anytime access to their home via smart phones or personal computers, including an iPhone application.

But what if you lost your iPhone? Certainly you can just get another one, but what if you are within the timeframe that you can’t get a subsidized phone upgrade? You may have to spend hundreds and hundreds on an unsubsidized iPhone. Fortunately, you have a great option to recover a lost iPhone that works with your iPhone’s GPS

It’s easy. Activate Find My iPhone. This is a subscription based service ($99 annually) if your iPhone is a 3G or 3Gs. Find My iPhone is FREE if you have an iPhone 4.

Just enable Find My iPhone in the MobileMe settings on your iPhone or iPad. Then sign in to me.com from any computer or using the Find My iPhone app on another iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to display its approximate location on a full-screen map.

When I did this the process was a little buggy because of my inability to connect my phone to the Me/Find My iPhone Account.  Once you log into Me.com with your Apple credentials, the same credentials you use to download an App on your iPhone, the phone should connect.

Find My iPhone locates your phone via a map and tells you an approximate location. It also allows you to send a message to who may have found the phone (like a number they should call to return it) and it overrides your vibrate setting and emits an alarm if you send a signal and are in range to listen for it. If all else fails Find My iPhone can wipe all your phones data remotely to help prevent identity theft.

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

Miami Area Police Provide Burglary Prevention Tips

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The FBI reports a burglary occurs in the United States every 15.4 seconds. That’s almost 4 property crimes a minute. Wow! A burglary can be in a home, park, car, parking lot, gym or place of work.

They state:

  • Most burglaries occur during the day when everyone’s at work or school.
  • Unlocked, unoccupied homes that are off the beaten path have the best escape routes and are big targets.
  • Auto break-ins are “crimes of opportunity”. If the bad-guy sees your stuff in the front or back seat they smash and grab.

Home security tips they offer:

  • Use solid steel or solid wood doors.
  • Trim shrubs to eliminate hiding spots.
  • Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood.
  • Start a neighborhood watch and get to know your neighbors.
  • Inform a few trusted neighbors of any travel plans to assist in the collection of newspapers and mail.
  • Install a home security system monitored by law enforcement and consider security cameras too.

Auto security tips they offer:

  • Lock you doors and take your keys. Sounds, like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many don’t follow this simple rule.
  • Don’t leave valuables exposed. Put them in the trunk or take them with you.
  • Don’t leave papers that may have identity data visible.
  • Activate alarms, use antitheft wheel locks.
  • Carry your registration in your wallet and make photo copies that you keep at home.
  • Never leave your engine running and walk away from the car, even if it’s only for a minute.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.

How to Prevent Door to Door Scams

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A close friend called to tell me a man knocked on her door to sell her on repaving her driveway. In the process, he requested she invite him in to discuss it further and go over different options. The man was persistent and if my friend was anyone else, he may have gotten in. However, she is savvier than that and reminded him that her German Shepherd would not appreciate anyone coming in the house.

Call them con men, grifters, scammers, or thieves. Or simply call them liars. Lying is what they do best. Face to face, via email or over the phone they lie through their teeth. They do it casually and with such conviction that we have no reason not to believe them.

These people will stand in your doorway and, in some cases, keep you talking until you buy something or persist till they get into your home. Remember, whatever you tell them can be used against you.

For example, if they act as a home alarm salesman and find out you don’t have an alarm, they may break into your house. If you tell them who your home alarm is with, they may call you at a later date posing as that alarm company and request “updated credit card numbers”.

This “request” is best resolved by not answering any questions at all, or telling the person at the front door (while you speak to them through the locked door) you are not interested. No matter what, never give them Social Security or credit card numbers, or tell them whether or not you have a home alarm.

The key is to stop being so nice and SAY NO as quickly as possible and always do it through a locked door.

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