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Being Proactive Isn’t Living In Fear — Smart Home Solution

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Occasionally, I’m chided by naysayers who accuse of promoting the FUD: fear uncertainty and doubt. They rattle off statistics that point to the chances of something bad happening is slim and one should not be concerned about such issues.

They are right, the stats are correct, and they are wrong, you should be concerned, but not overly. Regardless, directives towards belittling an issue I speak of is generally aimed at their own insecurity they fear addressing.

In their minds they know it’s something they need to deal with but one they’d prefer not because it’s easier to chastise me and minimize the event than it is to address it head on and be proactive in that manner.

The underlying excuses I’ve heard over and over again point to 2 cop-out procrastinating terms including “it can’t happen to me” and “I don’t want to be paranoid.”

To dispel “it can’t happen to me”

Unless you live in a bubble that protects from gamma rays, it can happen. While chances might be slim of any crime occurring, there is still enough of a chance that it will. For evidence just look in your regional or local police blotter and see how many it happens within a 5 miles radius of your home.

To dispel “I don’t want to be paranoid.”

Heck, I don’t want to be paranoid either. And I don’t wish you to be.

To define paranoia: “Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a person has a long-term distrust and suspicion of others. People with paranoid personality disorder are highly suspicious of other people. As a result, people with this condition severely limit their social lives. They often feel that they are in danger, and look for evidence to support their suspicions. People with this disorder have trouble seeing that their distrustfulness is out of proportion to their environment”

Paranoia is a loss of control and persistent overwhelm. Taking control of one’s personal security is the complete opposite of paranoia. It’s a balanced perspective knowing that yes, these things do happen, chances are slim they will happen to me, and I’m going to be proactive and do my best to prevent it.

No sense in living in fear. But being proactive, that should be common sense.

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.

Connectivity and interactivity are driving the way people live and manage their smart homes. ADT Pulse™ provides customers with anywhere, anytime access to their home via smart phones or personal computers, including an iPhone application to:

• Arm and disarm their home security system.

• Get notified of alarms and selected events via email and text messages as well as video clips.

• View their home through cameras and watch secure real-time video or stored video clips of events from monitored areas of the home.

• Access lights and appliances or set schedules to automate them.

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

Fake Cops Home Invasion — Respecting Vs. Trusting

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We live in a society that has many rules. We need rules because without rule, we’d devolve into chaos. Those rules are often broken by those who believe they are above them or are simply so desperate that they need to break them to get their next fix.

Some of these rules are more “guidelines” than they are law. One rule that makes it difficult for us to see the truth sometimes is “respect authority”. Authority is generally granted to those in a trusted position and comes in many forms such as a teacher, coach, politician, priest and law enforcement.

Unfortunately, those given the responsibility of authority are human, and humans are flawed, and too often when put in a position of power and authority they abuse it or simply can’t’ handle it.

In the past 24 hours in the news, I’ve seen a teacher who fought a kid, a cop who lost his badge, a politician so full of himself he sent semi-clad pictures of himself to a woman not his wife, and a confession by clergy to stop abuse.

This brings me to my point:

Home invasion by three men dressed as cops: “The trio turned up at a house dressed as police officers and claiming to have a search warrant, all black clothing with bullet-proof vests, even pulled up to the home in a vehicle that had a red flashing light and a siren, police said. Once inside, they used plastic ties to handcuff the six occupants and locked them in a room in the basement, police said. The fake cops then ransacked the home in search of cash. Several hours later, when the bandits had fled, the victims managed to free themselves and set of a house alarm.”

It is important to respect the position of the title. Everyone deserves some respect until they don’t. But, to blindly trust the person behind the title/uniform/badge etc, can get you hurt.

To question authority is not to revolt, but to decide for yourself if they should be trusted. And if your home alarm is on all day while you are home as it should be, and someone knocks on the door for any reason, contact a supervisor to confirm the legitimacy of the visit.

Don’t just trust. Trust needs to be earned.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Home Security Isn’t Conformity

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In a recent post I discussed an opportunity I had working with a TV journalist on home security. When we discussed “signage” as a layer of protection I recommended he install some in addition to the existing home alarm that he has. A “Beware of Dog” sign is a favorite of mine.

He responded by saying he lived on a cul-de-sac and it’s really nice and there isn’t a lot of traffic or crime there. He further said he’d be the only one in the neighborhood with the sign and it wouldn’t look right.

I responded by saying “That’s the point. You don’t want to conform. You want to stick out like a sore thumb and say “YOU DON’T WANT TO ROB ME BECAUSE IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT AND YOU WILL GET CAUGHT OR POSSIBLY HURT!”

A home alarm, signage, security cameras, a dog, spiky fencing, etc, are all deterrents. And, when the bad guys come down your cul-de-sac, and they will, and they see 10 houses that are all nice and manicured and one of them sticks out like that sore thumb and says “FORGET THE DOG, BEWARE OF OWNER”, then they choose your neighbor instead of you.

Unfortunately, there always has been, there is, and there always will be bad guys looking for another target. You don’t need to be that target if you put systems in place to deter the bad guy.

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

Is It A Home Invasion Or A Burglary?

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There has been lots of media attention on home invasions due to their frequency and the brutality that accompanies them.

A home invasion is much like a bank robbery when the robbers use force to get what they want. Robbery as defined in Wikipedia is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Robbery differs from simple theft, a break-in or burglary on its use of violence and intimidation.

Burglary on the other hand generally involves criminals who prefer the home is without occupants. They may impulsively enter a neighborhood and seek out homes that are dark, no car in the driveway, mail piled up and the doors and windows are left unsecured.

Often they will case a certain home and determine the specifics of when the resident is gone. Often they will make an effort to get a phone number of the home by getting the family name from a placard on the side of the house or from information in the mailbox.

In both situations proper security can reduce risk. In my home the home security system is always on. This means whether home or not, any unlawful intrusion is met with a piecing alarm and an automatic call to the police.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing  home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

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.

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.

Prolific Burglar Shares Tips from Prison

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Who better to tell you how to protect your home than a career criminal that began breaking into homes at the tender age of 14. Up until he was finally jailed,  he fed a heroin addiction for almost 30 years by breaking into over 200 homes. That’s an average of breaking into one home every 2 months for 30 years!

How he chose homes:

He randomly chose single level homes that had open shades where he could see inside if anyone was home. He cased the homes over a few days.

Often he would choose a home near the parking lot of a business, church or other establishment where he could park his car unnoticed.

A big attraction was if he saw any degree of mail or newspapers accumulating. One to 2 days worth of mail would prompt him to case the home further. If the home didn’t have that “lived in look” he would knock on the front door, ring the bell, tap on windows and if nobody answered he would jiggle the doorknob.

He also looked at a home’s lighting. If an exterior light was on at 2pm during daylight and still on at 4am, then it was likely the person was away from the home and left the light on to give the false impression they were home at night, not thinking a burglar would notice the light during the day.

What homes he avoided:

Any home with a “Beware of Dog” sign or any pictures of dogs wasn’t worth the risk. If the home had the appearance of a home security system, home security cameras, signage, stickers or a visible alarm keypad, he avoided the home saying again, it’s not worth the risk.

I think it’s pretty clear what you should do and what you shouldn’t do to attract the attention and deter a burglar.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.

City or Suburbs, Which is Safer?

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At one time everyone lived in the city, that’s all there was. Then suburban growth began and those who had money left the city for the suburbs. City inhabitants left back were often poor and where there is poor there seems to be crime.

There are many obvious differences between suburbia and city life including noise, congestion and crime. City kids are usually a little more street wise and suburban kids less so.

My parents grew up in the city and their parent’s grew up in the city. When I was young we lived in the city.

We moved to the “Leave It to Beaver” suburbs when I attended the first grade and I went through high-school a suburbanite. And because my parents were so young, (they were both 19 when I was born) I pretty much spent every weekend with my grandparents in the city. Growing up I kind of lived a “double life”. I had the idyllic upbringing of suburban life with the street savvy exposure of the city.

Over the years I’ve noticed lots of change in suburbia. Big change has occurred partly because of the Internet. With instant information and social media, the lines between city and suburb have been significantly blurred.

But what has obliterated those lines is crime. Crime now happens in suburbia just like it happens in the city. Statistically crime in the city is still higher than in suburbia, but the types of crimes, frequency and the violent nature of crimes are sometimes as bad in the suburbs as they are in the city.

Violence, burglaries, car theft, robberies and murder happen everywhere. And home invasions and the brutality that come with them are happening a lot in the suburbs.

In a Connecticut suburb Dr. William A. Petit Jr. was almost beaten to death while his wife and daughters, ages 17 and 11, were killed and the house was set on fire.

In a suburb in New Hampshire during a home invasion a mother is hacked to death with a machete and her daughter barley survives a similar attack.

What this all means is if you are an old school thinker and have grown up thinking “It can’t happen to me. Not here, we live in the burbs, that stuff happens in the city””…then you need to pay attention. If you live in the suburbs and neglect home security, not locking doors or thinking you don’t need a home security system is naïve.

Living in the suburbs no longer means you are insulated from crime. “Leave It To Beaver” is off the air.

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

18 Year Old Enters “Dumb Criminal Hall of Fame”

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There’s dumb criminals and then there is this kid.

A family was away from their home and had someone take care of some items around the house. Apparently the caretaker was doing some work on the exterior of the home and opened some shutters around a window and saw someone inside who wasn’t supposed to be there.

As soon as he realized it wasn’t a family member he called the police. And somehow the burglar was able to get out of the home and flee before law enforcement arrived.

When they entered the home to secure it they found a backpack, discarded food wrappers, a bag of pot, and soda cans. There was an open window adjacent to all the stuff where they determined that’s where he may have entered and exited.

So what does an 18 year old spend a lot of time doing (other than breaking into homes) he spends time on MySpace. And this kid logged onto the family’s home PC to his MySpace page. When he realized he was seen in the home he fled, forgetting to LOG OUT!!!!!!!!!

When the police looked at the computer they saw his stupid face above his dumb name (which happens to be “Robert”). With a current photo of him they were able to inform other officers on patrol and quickly saw him walking down a street equipped with burglary tools. He was arrested.

No offense to the homeowner, but they were no smarter leaving their home vulnerable to thieves with open windows, no alarm and a computer that didn’t have a password with administrative login requirements. At least lock all your windows, get a home security system and lock down your PC so it can’t be accessed.

Oh, and read this “Log Out, Log Out, I repeat, LOG OUT”.

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