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Top 10 Preventative Security Measures for your Home

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How safe do you really think your home is?
BeOn

  1. Lock the doors. This no-brainer doesn’t just mean when you’re gone all evening. It means during the daytime when you’re home. There’s no reason for doors to be unlocked when you’re inside the house. Does your lock consist of a deadbolt? Don’t rely on just a simple lock and key system. Think layers.
  2. The garage is also a door. Make sure it’s locked at all times. And if you think a skinny intruder won’t slip in through that “little crack” that the garage door is open by in the name of ventilating summer air, think again. Sometimes, the thief is a grade school child. Unplug the garage door when you travel.
  3. Charlie bars. Place rods in the tracks of your sliding doors to prevent them from being opened. Invest in “door reinforcement technology”. Google it.
  4. Alarm system. Do you wait till it’s bedtime to put the alarm on? Sociopaths can have an early bedtime. They’re not going to wait till you’re fast asleep to bust into your house. The alarm system should be on at all times. You just never know who might be lurking outside.

    And if you’re worried about accidentally opening a door without first turning off the alarm, then train your mind to avoid making this mistake. Installation of an alarm system is easier than ever these days and they come with all sorts of features like motion detectors.

  5. Lighting in and out. The general idea is to make your home seem occupied even when it isn’t. Lighting on timers is an option. Check out the BeOn. BeOn is a burglar repellent that “learns” your home’s pattern of light usage. So if you then leave the house for a long time, BeON will replicate this pattern. If anyone’s been casing your house and observing your lights-on, lights-off schedule, they will be fooled into thinking you’re home when BeON replays the pattern while you’re out.
  6. Make some noise. Leaving on the TV or radio is one way to do it. A barking dog is another. The BeOn system will make some noise in its next iteration. Check out their Kickstarter campaign and invest in your homes security.
  7. Outdoor deterrent. A proven deterrent is a thorny type of shrub placed near entry points—close enough to them such that a burglar would have to endure being painfully poked in order to hide or attempt a break-in.
  8. Speaking of outdoors…Don’t hide keys outside. Give them to trusted people.
  9. Blinds and curtains. Do you realize how easily a burglar, casing your house, could see inside, even in broad daylight? They’re not just looking for valuables, but what the house’s occupants look like. Do you look like Jean Claude Van Damme? Or do you look like the average Joe Schmo? Are you female? Unless you resemble Laila Ali, you might want to consider keeping your blinds, shades and curtains down even during the day, at least for rooms where it’s not essential to have “natural light.”
  10. Guess what burglars like to do online. They like to peruse Facebook pages to see who’s on vacation. Though half the world is on Facebook, have you been lucky enough in your life to feel certain that a thief will never just stumble upon YOUR Facebook page with all the posts about your upcoming vacation, complete with dates of departure and return?

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BeOn Home Security discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

The Whitehouse Break-in

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What a nutcase: the man who recently broke into the White House, missing President Obama by just minutes. (Why isn’t the White House fence more unscalable?)

2HOmar J. Gonzalez, 42 and unarmed, was arrested just inside the house. The Texan was charged with unlawful entry, and it’s not clear what his motive was.

The Sept. 19 incident began when Gonzalez was spotted climbing the fence. A Secret Service agent cleared people out of the area. The intruder sprinted across the lawn after hopping down from the fence and went through the north portico doors. A witness even said, “He got a good run in,” referring to the North Lawn sprint. Parts of the White House were evacuated, and officials were yelling to the man to freeze.

Obama had been scheduled to depart, by helicopter with his daughters, at 7:05 pm, leaving from the South Lawn. Gonzalez got over the fence at 7:20 pm. However, apparently, Obama had left only a few minutes before this incident.

The video surveillance of Gonzalez shows what appears to be a man running in a race. Maybe he’d been training specifically for this event? Who knows.

Though scaling the fence isn’t new, this incident may be a first in that the trespasser succeeded in gaining entry to the White House.

Wonder what Gonzalez has claimed, if at all, is the reason he did what he did. Did “voices” tell him to do it? Was it a dare, a bet with a lot of money riding on it? Did he want 15 minutes of fame, even if it came with a prison cost? And how is it that security at the White House is so lax? What if this guy had had a grenade on him, and Obama was delayed a few more minutes and just happened to be near the entrance where Gonzalez burst into?

You’d think a Whitehouse home security system equipped with armed guards, dogs and fences would keep a crazy out. Or maybe they don’t even have an actual system. If I’m ever elected president, I’d get one.

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

10 ways to Secure your Home for Guests and Parties

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The holiday season means an upsurge in home-based parties, and some parties can seem extremely innocent, like a Christmas tree decorating party. These events can get out of hand, even if you know all your guests. But sometimes your guests bring guests that are shady. It’s awful to even acknowledge this, but even people you know can steal. I can tell you firsthand, there are people who have come to my home that I personally would have never invited. And when something goes missing, it’s an absolutely horrible feeling. So here are a few tips for securing your home while you’re actually in it.5H

  1. The presence of liquor drives up the risk of criminal activity. Drunk people lose their inhibitions, do stupid things and if they’re predisposed to stealing, they’ll be even more tempted when their guard is down. Consider only serving beer and wine and leave the liquor in the cabinet.
  2. Put as many of your valuables such as jewelry and electronics in a locked safe and conceal the safe. Better “safe” than sorry.
  3. If there are presents under the tree days before Christmas, then hide the small gifts that a house guest can easily slip into their purse or pocket. Sad, but happens.
  4. If you keep stacks of cash around and you plan on doing a lot of holiday entertaining, consider moving money to your bank for the holidays.
  5. Lock off rooms during the party that you won’t need to use.
  6. Place a Piper home security, video monitoring and automation device at your front door in plain view. It has a 180-degree fish eye camera that can capture a video clip if there’s any unusual activity, and you can view it on your iOS or Android mobile device. Piper also comes with a sticker to post on your front door alerting to the presence of a security system.
  7. Do your best not to leave young children unattended with people they just met, including teenagers. This won’t be easy, but a little vigilance can make a difference. You have more control over your young children than other peoples’, so at least instruct your own kids never to go alone into any rooms with guests they don’t know or hardly know.
  8. Hide all keys and key chains so they aren’t accidentally or purposely taken.
  9. Make sure to lock all doors and windows at the conclusion of your event.
  10. Have fun, don’t worry about any of this, but definitely DO something to prevent it!

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist for Piper, the All-In-One Home Security, Video Monitoring and Automation Device, discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Finally: a Proactive Layer for your Home Security System

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Any complete security system requires proactive and reactive components.  Until now, no one had ever focused on the proactive side.  BeON has arrived to update this product category, and they have done it in a simple and elegant way that gives you security without the stress while you’re away…and also yields safety while you’re at home.

BeOnThere’s “smart” everything these days, including light bulbs. But the “smart” light bulb you’re probably familiar with is smart only in terms of convenience. It’s a dunce in terms of security.

But now, there finally is a truly intelligent light bulb: BeON Home’s smart lighting system, which is designed to repel home intruders. It’s one thing to detect crime in progress. But it’s a whole new animal when crime is prevented. The BeON Burglar Deterrent deters burglars.

BeON’s product goes in like any ordinary light bulb, but these special bulbs will then actually “learn” your home’s pattern of light usage. So if you then leave the house for a long time, BeON will replicate this pattern. If anyone’s been casing your house and observing your lights-on, lights-off schedule, they will be fooled into thinking you’re home when BeON replays the pattern while you’re out.

But there’s more. We all know about the light above the garage that suddenly goes on when a criminal walks up the driveway. He’ll have to be mighty dense to think that this light was flipped on by the homeowner’s fingers.

However, the BeON interior bulbs will be triggered at the sound of a doorbell (many intruders first ring the bell). The bulbs will flip on lights in a sequential manner, mimicking human-controlled use. This will make the would-be intruder think someone’s home. Even if there’s a power outage, these bulbs will work.

The bulbs include a rechargeable battery and all the fixin’s for top-flight security technology including connection to Bluetooth. The bulbs produce normal-looking light (similar to what a regular 60W bulb would emit).

BeON’s bulbs, though, talk to each other about your light-use behaviors. So if you habitually flip the kitchen light on at 2 a.m. for your middle-of-the-night ice cream splurge, these bulbs will learn this and go on at this time when you’re on your two-week vacation.

In addition to detecting the doorbell ringing, BeON will sense other alarms such as for smoke. Your lights will flare on so that you can escape the fire without having to fumble around for light switches.

The investment (reasonable) for these security light bulbs is well worth it, and shipments will commence April of 2015.

Support BeOn on Kickstarter so they can can continue to develop new security deterrents. I love this!!!!!!!!!!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BeOn Home Security discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

14 home security tips before you pack up for the Holidays

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The holidays are just about here, and so is your not-so-friendly neighborhood burglar. Burglars know that during the holidays, there are just more goodies to steal, and not only that, but there’s a lot of traveling away from home. During this time of year, homeowners need to be extra vigilant about protecting their property, and that includes making potential intruders think you’re home rather than away for the holidays.

5HThere are many ways to spruce up the security outside and inside your house:

  1. Most burglars get in through the front door, so equip this with a heavy duty deadbolt/lock system. Look for one that even has a built-in alarm and can be remotely controlled and activated. Nexia™ Home Intelligence is the brains behind remote locking, unlocking and more. This home automation system allows you to control locks, thermostats, lights, cameras and even the new Linear Z-Wave Garage Door Controller, from wherever you and the internet happen to be. Lock or unlock your door from anywhere with your mobile device and receive text or email alerts when an alarm triggers or when specific codes provided to your kids or visitors are entered at the lock.
  2. Intruders occasionally do get through windows, especially if they realize you’re not home and a window is open. A veteran burglar can slip through a window and steal some jewelry faster than you can walk your dog down the street and back.
  3. Keep your lawn manicured. Overgrown grass tells a thief you haven’t been in town for a while. And if you do leave town, arrange for someone to mow your lawn and rake leaves. If snow is expected, arrange to have someone shovel it. These tasks will make it appear you’re not on vacation.
  4. A light that never turns off is a sign you’re not home. Manage your lighting by scheduling it based on time such as sunrise or sunset or activate them remotely with Nexia Home Intelligence.
  5. Have the post office and newspaper delivery do a vacation hold for your mail and paper, respectively.
  6. How many times have you seen in some TV show a family loading up the top of their station wagon, in broad daylight smack in the middle of the driveway, for a vacation? Leave this to TV, and in real life, pack your vehicle inside the garage with the door closed or in the cover of dark, so that casing burglars don’t connect the dots.
  7. Arrange to have someone leave their car in your driveway while you’re gone.
  8. Lock up all your valuables. And even when you’re home, make sure that any piles of holiday presents are not visible from the outside.
  9. It’s a no-brainer, but people actually disregard this golden rule: Lock all possible entries to your house.
  10. Don’t blab on social media about your vacation until after you’ve returned.
  11. Do not reset your voicemail to say something like, “Hi! We’re enjoying the sun and surf in Tahiti for a few weeks, but we’ll be back soon!” Clean out your voicemail mailbox so that it doesn’t say “full.”
  12. If you don’t have one now, invest in a monitored home security system so you can fully relax on that white sandy beach.
  13. Install security cameras that can be remotely viewed on your mobile, tablet or PC through a self-monitored system like Nexia Home Intelligence.
  14. Put “Beware of Dog” signs in a conspicuous place even if you don’t have a dog.

Travel is supposed to be fun and stress free. And it’s always better when you know your home is safe and sound while you are away. Take the time to implement these tips and have a happy holiday season!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Nexia Home Intelligence discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Sociopath: Someone who breaks into your Home

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What is a Sociopath?

A sociopath, technically, is not a psychopath. These are actual psychiatric terms, and to say they’re one and the same is like saying that eczema and psoriasis are one and the same.

2BThough a sociopath and psychopath will often commit the same crimes, like breaking into a home, these are two different psychiatric conditions. Both fall under the category of antisocial personality disorder. They have in common the propensity for violence, lack of conscience and disregard towards ethics and laws.

The psychopath is clean cut, dresses impeccably, drives a Jaguar, is well-read and knows his wines, and is married with children. The sociopath is a drifter, disheveled, with needle marks up his arms, can’t hold a job and never graduated from high school. Both, generally speaking of course. Both these individuals are capable of the same heious crimes, but for different reasons. Example: A woman is assaulted; the first guy did it for fun after breaking into her home. The second guy broke in and did it as punishment after she refused to give him money.

Sociopathy

  • Obvious issues interacting with people; shows anger management problems and edginess.
  • People think he or she “has problems”; they lack cunning and charm.
  • People aren’t surprised when he’s arrested for murder.
  • Capable of emotionally bonding with humans, but this is limited.
  • Capture by the police is easy; they’re sloppy with their crimes.

Psychopathy

  • Calm, cool, collected, suave, may even be the life of the party, well-respected in the community.
  • Carefully plans crimes and when caught, it’s usually after they got away with many crimes.
  • Despite often having a spouse and kids, the psychopath is not capable of emotionally bonding with humans.
  • Skilled at manipulating and tricking people with their charm and high intelligence.
  • Capture by the police is difficult.

The psychiatric establishment’s position is that sociopathy is the result of childhood environment, whereas psychopathy is primarily the result of faulty brain wiring. If you had to be stuck on a dark island with a sociopath or psychopath—opt for the sociopath. You have a small chance of tapping into what little empathy he’s capable of.

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

Keanu Reeves two Intruders in two Days

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Keanu Reeves recently had a home intruder: a woman. It was 4:00 am when she got into his home and plopped in a chair. The 40-something nut-job told the movie star she was there to meet with him. He nonchalantly called 911. Police took the woman into custody.

3BWho’s nuttier: the intruder or the homeowner who leaves a highly valuable home left unlocked overnight, or at least, left in an easy-to-gain-entry state, while the owner sleeps? Maybe this woman is a kook, but it sounds like Reeves doesn’t have both oars in the water when it comes to home safety. She could have been waiting with a gun pointing at his head.

People are always breaking into celebrities’ mansions. How are they getting past security? While Sandra Bullock was sleeping, it happened to her, too—right at her bedroom door. What—no motion detector to sound an alarm? People in middle class neighborhoods have these, but filthy rich movie stars don’t?

Actually, these over-paid movie stars usually DO have security, but don’t use it. Reeves has an alarm system, but it was turned off. What are the odds that this woman just happened to plan her intrusion the night he keeps the alarm off? Well, a better explanation is that Reeves probably never used it much in the first place.

And then another woman traipsed into Reeves’s home a day later—but this time he was out. His cleaning people left a front gate open—and just by chance, this coincided with the intruder’s presence.

This woman was a bit loonier than the first one: She was in his shower nude, then went into his pool (though she’d be crazier if she left her clothes on, right?). She did all this before the cleaning crew caught on; they eventually called Reeves, who dialed 911. This second woman was also hauled away for the customary psych evaluation. Maybe she’ll be roomed with the first woman.

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

9 Ways to sell your House safely

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Selling your house can spell a lot of trouble whether you do it yourself or hire a real estate agent. Agents have little training on safety and security and home owners even less so. Here are safety tips.3B

  1. Prior to a showing, get information on the potential buyer. Google their names to see what comes up. They can also complete a buyer’s questionnaire, seek one online, and you can chat with them on the phone.
  2. Find out if the buyer is bringing along young children. Kids get into everything and are hazard to themselves. See if arrangements can be made otherwise. If this is not possible, try to arrange to have a friend or family member keep an eye on the kids during the showing.
  3. Make sure the path to your front door is clear of any debris, yard equipment, toys, etc., that can be a tripping hazard. Also make sure that no rugs inside are bunched up, and that the floors and all the steps are clear of any objects that the buyer can trip over. Warn the buyer of any sharp edges, like that from cocktail tables, that they might walk into. Make sure there’s no moisture or slick areas on the floors.
  4. If you have a dog, keep it locked in a crate during the showing. Don’t wait for the buyer to come over to do this; put the dog in the crate ahead of time, since the buyer might arrive early.
  5. Show your property only during the daylight.
  6. Use the buddy system, bring a friend or relative over to assist. Arrange to have someone present in the home during the showing, and visible to the buyer, perhaps a friend in the living room reading.
  7. Make sure that the door is closed and locked once the buyer enters your home. But at the same time, be closest to the exit in case something goes wrong.
  8. If another family member is in the home during the showing, and especially if you don’t know where in the house they are at any given moment, knock on any closed doors before entering as you don’t want to startle the other resident by just opening up the door.
  9. Put away in a safe or completely remove all valuables. If you see someone steal something, do not confront them. Leave quickly (yes, leave your own house with someone still in it) and call the police.

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

An Interview with Door Devil Reinforcement Technologies

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A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This common phrase can be applied to almost anything. In the security industry we call this a “vulnerability” or the “path of least resistance”. In your home, in regards to home security, this weak link is often your front or back door. If you take a close look at your existing door and frame, you will see the door jamb, where the lock and deadbolt enter, is made of half inch to three quarter inch pine wood in most residential doors. And if you’ve even seen 10 year olds in karate class demonstrate chopping three quarter pine with their bare hands, then you know how vulnerable this jamb is if a 200 pound man either kicks your door or shoulders it.

1BDoor reinforcement products were created to due to necessity because an overwhelming number of home burglaries and invasions happen because of that weak link (door jamb) in your door. There are a few variations of door reinforcement technology and here we discuss “door frame reinforcement”. Typically made of steel, this device can be up to four feet long and is installed on the door jamb center, over the existing strike plates. Braces come in different styles.

When I bought my existing home, I knew right away I needed to reinforce my doors. I did some searching online and found the “Door Devil”. After installing, I reached out to the engineers who created this simple but effective device and here’s what they had to say:

So, what is the “Door Devil Kit?” It’s doorway reinforcement component device.

Who needs the DDK?

A deadbolt is held in place by less than one measly inch of soft wood in most American doorframes. Just about any determined hoodlum could kick through it.

Explain the origins of the Door Devil.

There was a rash of burglaries several years ago, even though most of the houses had alarm systems. But the intruders were gone before the cops arrived—kick down the door, ransack, then flee.

The solution was to reinforce the doors, which could be done with two metal strips attached to the doorframe. But just several weeks later, a burglar kicked down one of these doors. We had the right idea but the wrong application.

Okay then, what about Spiderman who can scale a house and get in through a window?

A very determined thief may find a way into one’s house no matter what. But kicking a door is very common because crooks know that a window alarm will immediately go off. Plus, they know neighbors could hear a window shattering. A burglar may also avoid windows due to the threat of broken glass.

I have a gun and I won’t hesitate to use it.

What if you’re not home? And if you’re home…can you get to your gun before the intruder could get his hands around your throat? And if you can fight back, what if he’s in and out before you can get to him, like, say…you’re in the bathroom when he busts in?

Got it. How well does the Door Devil work?  

It’s fabulous. Though there are two verified instances in which cops used a ram to dismantle a door after several attempts. But the doorframe and hardware remained intact, thanks to the Door Devil.

Does the Door Devil replace a monitored alarm system?

Never. The Door Devil is one more layer of protection. Alarm systems go a long way at preventing burglaries, but homes with alarms do get targeted. After all, a burglar has a little time to disarm the alarm, but few intruders are skilled at and not intimidated by this. Sometimes the thief doesn’t consider the possibility of an alarm. Sometimes the intruder doesn’t care if there’s an alarm and just wants money for his next drug fix. But a smarter, more experienced burglar knows that a house with an alarm probably has more valuables. So as you can see, the alarm isn’t the be-all end-all. You need layers.

Who should get a Door Devil?

Really, anyone who is aware enough that well over a million home are broken into every year, most resulting is financial and sentimental losses, and others in tragic deaths. Remember, we are all about layers. Alarms, window locks and films to beef up windows, cameras, dogs, signage and door reinforcement. For $60 to $80, the Door Devil is great for those who can’t afford an alarm system too. It’s also perfect for damaged doorframes, and of course, for doors that can be kicked through. It can be installed in 30-45 minutes on a typical U.S. doorframe—a 98 percent chance of fitting.

Otherwise, the product can be recessed. To find out, pinch two dimes together. That’s the thickness of the Door Devil. It just makes so much sense to add this to a home that’s already got an alarm system. I mean, how many burglars enter through the chimney, and I already explained why most don’t choose windows.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com discussing Anti-Kick door reinforcement on YouTube. Disclosures.

12 Tips to Find a Missing Person

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If a loved-one has gone missing, the first thing you should do is call the police. That sounds obvious, but how many times have you read about parents or spouses who delayed calling the police (even though they weren’t involved in the abduction)?

  1. A myth is that there’s a waiting period before the police will take the report seriously. If your 14-year-old has been missing for two hours, call the police. Don’t wait 24 hours.
  2. Call the police daily. You should have the officer’s name who took the case; repeatedly contact that officer. The squeaky wheel finds the missing.MISS
  3. In the case of an adult, check the missing person’s last known address—with permission—to look for clues: notes, belongings, mobile phone, wallet, signs of a struggle, blood, something left cooking, running water, etc.
  4. Contact the person’s family, friends and other contacts. Were there any fights? Talk to coworkers and bosses. Find out if there were any financial problems or signs of depression.
  5. Check with hospitals, medical examiners and coroners. Ask for the individual by name. Also ask if there’s any unidentified patients who fit the description of the missing person.
  6. Check social media; there may be a cyber trail.
  7. If a child is missing, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
  8. Contact NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System); here you can upload information about the missing individual.
  9. Put up fliers. This is very effective for increasing awareness. There have been numerous cases in which the missing person called to have the fliers taken down. Post the fliers where the missing person goes often, and use a photo of the person smiling to evoke more community sympathy.
  10. Contact the media. This can put the heat on the police to get the case solved. Contact TV stations, newspapers and the websites of media and launch a mission.
  11. Hire a private investigator. Rates range from $50 to $150 an hour. Shop around good for one, preferably one with a solid record of successful cases.
  12. Never give up hope or action. Also get involved with support groups.

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