Should You make the Investment in Alarm Monitoring?

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Imagine the effectiveness of the following sign at your front door when a would-be intruder reads it:

WARNING: This house is protected by a remote monitoring service; if you break in while the homeowner is away, he’ll be instantly alerted and the police will be automatically dispatched. And if you break in while he’s home, well heck, you’re still screwed.

2WWhat exactly is a remote monitoring service?

  • It’s always ready for an intruder, 24/7, every single day.
  • A comprehensive service will also detect smoke, water heater problems and other issues like a carbon monoxide leak.
  • You will have a “safe” word that only you (and other trusted people) know.
  • If the alarm is tripped and the monitoring service can’t get the safe word from whomever answers the phone, or there is no answer, police will be on their way.
  • An advanced system will also allow you to remotely revise settings on your customer account.
  • Another feature of a high tech system is that it allows you to set silent alarms, so that the “intruder” won’t know they tripped the sensor, but you will get an alert to your phone indicating this. This feature is great for people who suspect a family member is snooping around where they shouldn’t.

The Technology

  • Joe Thug kicks down your back door (you kept putting off getting a top-flight strike plate).
  • The alarm is triggered.
  • This alerts the monitoring center.
  • They call you.
  • But you can’t answer because you’re not there.
  • The intruder answers, intending to convince the company that it was a false alarm. Instead he’s asked for the secret word. Startled, he hangs up and flees.
  • The police are dispatched.
  • After the dispatch, your secondary phone numbers are called (family, friends, etc.).
  • This same technology has a panic button for fire, police and EMT. Once pressed, help is on the way.

So should you make this investment? How worth it is your home, family and peace of mind? Invaluable.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Secure your home for the holidays

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The holiday season is ramping up. And so are burglars. Even if you don’t get very festive, burglars may still target your home. Your dark, unlit home among all the dazzling festive homes will stick out like a sore thumb. Whether you have 10,000 decorative lights on or none, here’s what to do: 3H

  • Keep all possible entrances (even the second-story window next to the big tree branches) locked at all times with high quality locks in excellent working condition.
  • Put reinforcements on your doors so that they can’t be kicked open.
  • Put security film on windows so that blunt force is less likely to penetrate the glass.
  • Don’t let deliveries accumulate outside or your mailbox.
  • Use automatically timed lighting devices to avoid a dark looking house.
  • Keep blinds/shades and curtains closed at all times. I understand you want open windows to let in the light; you’re not a vampire. But at least when the sun begins setting, close things up so that burglars casing your place can’t see your valuables or you struggling with pushups.
  • If you don’t have a big dog, put a little “evidence” on the porch or front stoop that a big dog lives inside, but don’t make it look staged. Ask a friend with a large dog if they have any toys they no longer need that that indicate a large breed, such as one of those huge tug-o-war ropes.
  • Don’t let shrubbery growth act as a hiding spot around entrances.
  • Never load or unload gifts or big purchases from your car unless you’re inside the garage with the door closed.
  • Never boast on social media about your big-ticket items.
  • Back up your data. If all else fails and your devices such as laptops or desktops are stolen, make sure you have set up cloud backup to protect your data. Whether theft or fire, having a cloud backup ensures that your information is safe offsite.
  • Get a security alarm system for the house.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Toddler Used As Decoy in Burglaries

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A confidence trick or confidence game (also known as a bunko, con, flim flam, gaffle, grift, hustle, scam, scheme, swindle or bamboozle) is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. The victim is known as the mark, the trickster is called a confidence man, con man, confidence trickster, or con artist, and any accomplices are known as shills. Confidence men or women exploit human characteristics such as greed and dishonesty, and have victimized individuals from all walks of life.

Social engineering is the act of manipulating people into performing certain actions or divulging confidential information. While similar to a confidence trick or simple fraud, the term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or computer system access; in most cases the attacker never comes face-to-face with the victim.

Call them con men, grifters, scammers, or thieves. Or simply call them liars. Lying is what they do best. They stare you in the eyes and lie through their teeth. They do it casually and with such conviction that we have no reason not to believe them. Their craft and skill is a remorseless trait called social engineering, which is also known as pre-texting.

Lying is a learned behavior. One day as children we stumble upon a situation, one that we created or were a party to, and we are confronted by someone in authority. Most likely mom, dad, or a teacher. We are asked a question and we respond with what we think they want to hear, as opposed to the truth. We lie. They believe us and we are relieved of the burden of truth’s consequences.

“They all thought they were helping a woman and her child, but Sanford police say the woman duped them. She cried wolf they said.

They said she knocked on four of her neighbors’ doors with a sob story. Twice she used her toddler to get into their houses. “She asked me ‘help, I need help. My car’s overheating. My baby’s suffocating,’” a victim. “I went into my room and I noticed that my jewelry box was open and everything was gone, I’m nervous. I sleep armed. I can’t sleep,” the unidentified victim said. “You feel stupid at first and you just wish the world wouldn’t be that way.”

Sometime the most effective way to penetrate the most secure system is through someone else’s good nature. It’s always important to help. And, it’s equally important to smell a rat.

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