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You need a Home Security Safe

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You don’t have to be wealthy or live in a big house to need a home security safe. If you don’t think you need one, ask yourself why. Ask yourself if you don’t have any valuables—not necessarily something that would be valuable to a burglar, but something very dear and special to you, such as a vintage photo of your great-grandfather.

5HA crook will grab a small safe, not knowing that it contains sentimental items to the owner, and hoping it contains jewelry items he could resell.

So the ideal home safe should be large enough to deter a burglar from grabbing. It should also be fireproof: You wouldn’t want your sentimental belongings to go up in smoke, would you? A safe is also a good place for emergency cash.

An article on community.homeclick.com provides information on choosing a home safe, beginning with the three kinds of locking mechanisms: keypad combination, cylinder dial and keyed lock.

Keypad Combination

This type, which uses batteries, provides fast access and can be customized. The downside, other than having to replace the batteries, is that it’s small enough for a burglar to grab. But if you prefer this system, then bolt this little safe to the floor.

Manual Dial

The manufacturer of this type of lock provides a preset combination, but if you have skill with tools, you can change the combination.

Keyed Lock

The downfall is that these can be picked with a paperclip. Thieves know how easy this is, so if this is your preferred lock, then bolt this safe to the floor—but that won’t stop the burglar from picking the lock. However, it’s fireproof and waterproof, so once the thief sees it’s filled with your children’s birthday cards to you of years ago and old photos of your great aunt Mollie, he’ll leave it alone, I’m sure.

The best safe is a big heavy one. A burglar doesn’t want to hassle with the chore of lifting it and carrying it out of the house. At the same time, it should have a locking mechanism that will stump a burglar. A large, heavy safe is ideal even if you have only a small quantity of valuables; you don’t have to fill it up.

The third feature is the ability to withstand heat. Safes are rated, such as being able to tolerate 350 degrees for one hour. This will surely protect photos, keepsakes and the like, but probably not sensitive electronic equipment. The safe should also have a good rating for resistance to water damage.

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

Internet of Things and Home Security

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Hah, that dual chamber deadbolt and the door jamb reinforcement! Yup, they’re good at keeping thieves from getting to your jewelry box and stash of $100 bills, but what about your bank accounts and identity?

5HIf you have any “smart” gadgets in your house, cybercriminals may be able to hack into these and burrow straight to your financial information, credit card information, Social Security number and everything else about you—and rip you off like no masked man picking your front door lock can.

In vulnerable devices, a hacker can gain access to your bank account number, passwords, usernames, etc., through your “connected” thermostat, baby monitor, even home security system. The Internet of Things is a godsend to cyberthieves. In short, if something in your house is wireless, it’s hackable, says a report on forbes.com.

Now this isn’t to say that you’d better toss that smart baby monitor or milk-spoilage detector, but it simply means that now is as good a time as ever to be aware of how hackers could exploit these gadgets. And that people should weigh the benefits and risks of convenience vs. hackability.

For example, will your life really be easier if your connection to the Internet is activated by your voice rather than finger on a mouse? So rather than go the route of convenient gadgets that don’t consider security, choose security devices that come with “smart” security features too.

For ideal security, all of a home’s connected devices should communicate with each other. This can’t happen if gadget 1 is from Company A; gadget 2 from Company B, and so on.

Again, there’s no need to fear that the connected baby monitor will give a hacker in Russia access to your savings account, but the Internet of Things has reached a point where we must give some pause to all of the possibilities.

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

Home Security App/Camera witnesses two Burglars

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Danny Wheeler was alerted by his smartphone that had a home security app and a do it yourself camera/home security system that his home was being robbed. He was at work and could do nothing but send the real time video to New York City police, reports a story on abcnews.go.com. The burglars got away, however, by the time the place was swarming with police.

ANG3Such an application and system can allow the user to remotely access all the “goings-on” and in some case set off a loud alarm. Even if you have the most elaborate home security system, having one of these smartphone-alerting systems will add an extra layer of protection, and for sure, result in capture of thieves who are less quick at getting away.

These systems should be adjuncts to a full security system, as they don’t have round the clock monitoring and don’t directly contact police. And even though Wheeler’s thieves got away, their images have been retained for possible identification.

Wheeler posted the video on social media, reports an article on nydailynews.com. An intruder is seen entering via a window, and then a second man enters through another window. The men spent only about a minute rummaging through the home, exiting just before an alarm sounded.

There are over 15,000 views so far. Someone is bound to be able to identify the burglars.

Wheeler regrets calling the police before remotely triggering the house alarm. Had he set off the alarm the moment he realized what was happening, it’s possible that his J. Crew silver bracelet would not have been stolen from his bedroom.

Possessing one of these systems, as mentioned, adds a layer of security. The Angee home security system, see them on Kickstarter, is the only one with a video camera that rotates 360 degrees as it detects motion. And this high definition camera has smart zones; you can set up specific zones for monitoring. But Angee is more than just a video surveillance setup. It’s a self-monitored home security system.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist to Angee. Learn more about Angee in this Video. Support Angee on Kickstarter. See Disclosures.

It’s a Security System and More

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WARNING: Removing this video surveillance camera to kill evidence of your robbery will do you chickenfeed because the video of you is being stored in the cloud!

2WToday’s security systems are so much more evolved than they were 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.

We’ve all heard of the bright light that goes on over the garage when someone steps onto the driveway. That’s so old that some burglars aren’t miffed by this in the least. However…such a motion detection system can also trigger video surveillance and notify the police. And there’s so much more that today’s security technology can do:

  • Send an alert to your smartphone that something anomalous has been detected inside your house; you can then view the interior in real time where this detection occurred, even if you’re across the country. Don’t be surprised if in the future, the homeowner could—with a single tap of a smartphone key—activate a net from the ceiling to deploy and engulf an intruder, holding him till the cops come. I WANT THAT.
  • Even if you live in a virtually crime-free neighborhood and have no valuables…you can still be endangered by non-human threats like gas leaks, fires and trip-and-fall hazards in dark areas with triggered lighting. A home security system can protect you from these variables.
  • Burglars aren’t fooled by the constant light that’s on to make it seem like you’re home when you’re not. However, security systems can create a pattern of on-and-off light use when you’re away, simulating that someone’s actually home.
  • If you still have an old-fashioned wireful security system, it’s time to switch to wireless. Wireless eliminates the possibility of a burglar cutting the wires. Furthermore, a wireless system can include a small remote that can activate and deactivate the system, like when you want to go outside at night with the dog to do its business.

If you were to ask 1,000 home burglary and invasion victims, “Did you think the crime could ever happen to YOU?” What do you think they’d all say? Stop making excuses and get a home security system if you already don’t have one.

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

Hidden Covert Cameras found in Woman’s Home

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Nicole Muscara’s alarm clock acquired an alarming feature: a hidden camera placed by a stalker. She discovered something odd when she one day set the alarm; it wasn’t her clock.

CAMStories like this are happening more commonly. Recently a Kansas City, Missouri woman discovered 11 hidden cameras in her apartment—placed there by her landlord.

As for Muscara, turns out a good friend of hers (whom she had initially refused to suspect) had put in the camera clock.

It’s common to not know you’re being stalked, or if you do, not know whom the stalker is. The stalker is an unhealthy person who feeds on the energy of their victim to get through the day.

It’s tough to keep track of the prevalence of stalking, especially with today’s technology, with predators spying via webcams and other schemes.

Consider the following recommendations for protection:

Take note of unwanted attention. Does anyone keep texting you, for instance, even though you don’t like this? Is someone continuing to make unwarranted comments or advances even though you’ve told them to stop? Who has access to your home even though you don’t trust them?

Set up a home security system. They’re now wireless, cheap and portable. Wireless IP cameras can connect to your Internet and you can watch your home via smartphone.

Shield your hotel room’s peep hole with paper. A creep can get a “reverse peep hole” and watch you from the outside in.

Get a wired/wireless camera detector. Cameras that creeps use are tiny and hard to spot visually. A reliable camera detector (costs at least $100) will scan your home/hotel room.

Call the police. If you “feel” someone is watching you, your sixth sense may very well be correct.

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

Security is about Layers and Attitude

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Installing a home security system and keeping doors and windows locked is not the end of your crime prevention regimen; it’s only the beginning. And the beginning is YOU.

2HYou are your greatest weapon against crime, wherever you are located at any given moment. Unfortunately, that “mama bear” or “papa bear” mentality has been driven out of many people by modern-day living and an influx of etiquette books and manners training.

Of course, modern-day living allows us to behave civilly so that we don’t punch out the next person who disagrees with our political views. By the same token, we’ve been conditioned to be softies when it comes to truly threatening situations. Or, we’ve become desensitized to possible threats.

An example of this civilized conditioning is mothers teaching their children, “Respect authority.” But what should a child do when an authorative adult tells a child his mother is sick so he must get on the van to go see her? It’s this conflict with civility and survival that predators prey upon.

We need to take more responsibility towards uncivilized people, predators are all around us. We need to aim for maximal security, while realizing that nobody or no location or setting can ever be 100 percent secure.

Security must be layered.

Security that’s founded in layers will go a long way at slashing your level of risks, and a long way at making a criminal’s intentions all the more difficult to carry out. Let’s get as close to that 100 percent as possible with some careful planning.

A classic example of layered security is that of a large bank:

  • Large windows, which make would-be robbers realize they’ll be more easily seen by people walking by.
  • Doors with locks
  • An alarm system which includes motion detectors and glass-break alerts
  • Bullet proof glass
  • Video surveillance
  • Armed guards
  • GPS and dye packs to locate stolen cash
  • A safe

So how can you parallel this kind of layered security for your house? You can start with a home security system that comes with all the bells and whistles, such as motion detection, motion sensitive outdoor lights, cameras, door/window sensors, remote access via smartphone or PC, a blaring siren and home automation components like the Lynx Touch 5100 by Honeywell. And that’s just one component of additional layers of home security.

Make sure windows have special coverings on the glass to make it impenetrable, and that window wells are covered with locked lids that can’t be lifted off.

Do your homework on how to secure your main door as solidly as possible with the best lock systems and door reinforcement technologies.

Now, what about your body? Take up martial arts. If possible, install a striking bag in your home and work out on it. Enroll your kids in martial arts, particularly a school where kids are taught to fight from a ground position. Make no excuses; do what you can to come up with the money and get going. A trained 120-pound woman can disable an untrained, much bigger and stronger man.

Train with weights to make your body stronger and tougher. A strong body not only is more likely to win a fight, but is also more likely to walk away from a crisis situation with minimal injury.

Plus, the stronger your body is, the more likely you’ll be able to assist someone else in an emergency situation. Nothing creates a sense of security like knowing you can pick up and carry heavy objects. And once you know how to save your own life or the life of another, every other decision in life is relatively simple. Understanding self defense and home security gives a person an enormous amount of perspective.

Prowler Alert issued

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Two men, impersonating San Jose police officers, waltzed through the unlocked door of a woman’s home and told her they were there to check on her welfare. This happened in the early evening, and the men were described as being Hispanic and 5-7 and 155 pounds. They presented the woman with identification but she smelled a fish.

2BWhile the men were there, she called the Petaluma police dispatch center. One of the men was brazen enough to tell the dispatcher he was checking on the 66-year-old woman’s well-being, then hung up. The men then left the property.

The San Jose police said they had no officers in the Petaluma area, and are urging residents to keep their doors locked—no excuses—at all times. They should also request a photo ID of anyone claiming to be a police officer who’s in plain clothes.

Simple Home Security Guidelines

  • If a stranger is at your door, never speak to that person through an open door or screen door. Talk to them through a locked door.
  • Never allow children to answer the door.
  • Not all home invaders ring the doorbell or knock. Some barge in unexpectedly, so always have the alarm system on, even if it means having to always remember to turn it off when you step out.
  • And of course, get the home alarm system.
  • Have a 24-hour video surveillance system installed. The site of a camera usually scares off a would-be intruder. Cameras should point to all your doors and other access points.
  • Consider getting a German shepherd or other large breed that has a natural guarding instinct and innate territoriality. You may fret at the thought of having to take a dog for walks every day, cleaning up after it, feeding it, etc., but that will be more exercise for you (who doesn’t need more exercise?), a great companion that offers unconditional love, and a superb deterrent to a home invasion or burglary attempt.

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

The Connected Home is Finally Here

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A connected home is one in which appliances and accessories are connected to the Internet. An example would be a refrigerator that texts the homeowner when the eggs are about to run out (the egg tray has the sensor).

4HIt’s projected that a connected home can be built from the inside out, but connection is taking off via small devices or appliances that use a smartphone as a remote control: for instance, a light bulb that’s controllable with a mobile. With this setup, you can flip lights on and off when away from your home, or customize lighting with the smartphone such as setting up brightness to come on at a certain time.

Imagine a smoke alarm that sends messages to you when you’re away from home if it senses smoke. Well, someone else already did; it’s been invented. This funky technology can even be connected to a thermostat and automatically shut off the furnace if there’s a CO leak.

And there’s an app that can control many music systems via your smartphone. Are you now thinking about the Jetsons?

One to two percent of people have connected devices that control energy, appliances, climate and lighting, even home monitoring. Interestingly, according to a survey, nearly half of respondents are not quite ready to live like the Jetsons.

Nevertheless, the most popular connected home device is an alarm system. Plus, there are connections for garage doors, monitoring of pets and other occupants such as the elderly, and door locks (e.g., an electronic key for a repair person that expires by end of day).

In fact, there’s even a single application that can offer multiple connections, eliminating the need to have an application for every connected device. How cool is that?

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

Robbers Put Gun To Baby’s Head During Home Invasion

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WOW!!!!! Like the baby is going to cause any threat to the pig home invaders.

This happened in Pee Dee which is a region of South Carolina in the northeastern corner of the state. “Pee Dee” who knew? Seems it was named after an Indian tribe. Makes sense.

Anyway CarolinaLive.com reports: “Just before 3 a.m. on a Friday, a woman says she heard someone knocking at her front and back doors to her apartment. According to police, the woman cracked open the door and that’s when four masked, armed men forced their way inside. They made the woman and her baby lie on the floor.  At one point, the robbers put a gun to the baby’s head.

The men demanded money and the woman’s purse. The robbers then put a gun to another woman in the home who was upstairs. They stole $10 from a glass vase and left.”

10 bucks. That’s $2.50 each for the masked invaders. They can each by a bag of Munchos and a Snickers.

Rule #1:  You tell your kids not to talk to strangers; therefore, do not open your door to a total stranger, especially at 3 AM and ESPECIALLY IF HE IS WITH 3 OTHER GUYS WEARING MASKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Rule #2:  You are better off not answering the door at all, keeping the doors locked as they should be and call the police especially at 3AM!!!

Rule #3:  If you have a home security system (which you should) you can always set off the panic alarm in this instance and a call will be made to the police department along with a blaring siren that may deter the masked invaders.

Rule #4:  Learn from this incident. It is much better to learn from others mishaps than to learn from your own.

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

Police Arrest Six People in Ritzy Robbery Ring

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Burglars broke into more than 50 homes in the high end areas of Miami and Palm Beach. Most of the victims were out to dinner and some were victims of home invasions.

The perps may have had a network in place of valets, waiters/waitresses or others who had an idea of who the victims were, their addresses and what their schedules were. Most importantly, someone on the inside of this network would inform the thieves when the victims would be gone from the home.

The thieves would enter the homes through locked or unlocked sliding doors generally in the back of the home. Their targets included high end jewelry, watches, gold and diamonds. Losses could be as high as 2 million dollars.

Getting the stolen jewelry back is often next to impossible. Jewelry is the quickest and easiest to fence.

“Police have dubbed the six people arrested for their participation in a burglary ring spanning three counties as the “Dinner Crew Set.”  Home surveillance video captured one of the thieves in action — a masked man with a two way radio.”

It’s obvious that most of these homes did not have home alarms or home security cameras. Many of these burglaries could have been prevented with simple investments that equate to a dollar a day for your family home security.

It’s amazing to me how people go out and spend all this money on expensive items but don’t lock them in a safe or protect them with a home security system.

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