Having a fully secure home is essential to your peace of mind. With crime on the rise worldwide, Rivas Techgroup has developed a list of helpful tips and tricks that can help you improve your home security in no time at all.
CCTV
In the event of a burglary, upgraded CCTV cameras provide better footage, giving you more information about the intruders. The camera systems we offer allow you to access your live and recorded video footage from any smartphone or tablet, meaning that you can keep an eye on your home from anywhere in the world. You can set security systems to send you texts when they detect motion so that you are the first one to know, even if you aren’t there.
LIGHTING
Well-lit areas, and the better visibility they bring, make people feel more comfortable; this is why people feel safer during the daytime and why children are afraid of the dark. Simple adjustments to your lighting system’s settings can make a huge difference to your safety and security. Adjust your lighting settings so that when the garage door opens after dark, the lights leading up to your door turn on automatically.
OUT OF SIGHT & OUT OF MIND
The best thing about modern home theaters is how absorbing they are. The technology available means that you can feel as though you are in the center of all the action from beginning to end! The last thing on anyone’s mind is whether the front door is locked. Home automation systems allow you to adjust features of your home you didn’t know were possible, such as automatically locking your front and rear doors when a movie starts; a feature that is particularly comforting if you are watching a horror movie!
MOCKUPANCY
It may sound weird, but it’s a proven security hack that helps keep intruders at bay. The biggest worry about taking a well-earned vacation is the safety of your home while you are away. Lights will be left off for days, the blinds will stay closed, and the whole place will look empty and ready for the taking. Mockupancy is a term that refers to making a house appear occupied while, in fact, you’re sunning yourself in the Bahamas. Adjust lighting so that it automatically turns on and off while you’re away. For an extra kick, you can take it further and set your blinds to open and close automatically for a real ‘lived-in’ look.
KNOCK KNOCK
It is always a good idea to know who’s at the front door before you open it, especially if there are children in the house. Installing a screen that displays who’s at the door when the bell rings will give your security an instant boost and allow for peace of mind. Take it to the next level by setting your home automation system to do the following: play “Who Can It Be Now?” through the speakers, rotate the security camera to the front door, pause the TV or movie, and if it’s night time, turn up the outside patio light from 20% to 75%.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Keeping your yard neat is a huge safety booster! An overgrown yard provides intruders with plenty of places to hide so it’s time to clear out those shrubs, hedges, and trees. On that note, outdoor lighting is also important in keeping intruders out as they look for dark corners to stay out of sight.
LOCKDOWN
More often than not, intruders aren’t breaking in but rather taking advantage of a door left unlocked. An easy way of preventing this is to install smart locks that automatically lock after a given amount of time.
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES
Making friends with neighbors is useful, and not just for when you need to borrow a cup of sugar! If you’re away on holiday, it’s a good idea to let neighbors know that you won’t be there so that if they see anything suspicious, they can act accordingly. You can also do the same for them in return. It might also be a good idea to ask them or some friends to take out your trash while you’re away, as the lack of trash on garbage day can be a signal to intruders that you are away from home.
DON’T ADVERTISE
While you may feel like letting the whole world know how proud you are of your new flat-screen TV, it’s possibly not the best idea to do so. Putting the TV box and packaging out with the trash is a way of letting everyone know, including potential burglars, that you have a brand-new TV on your wall. This is a surefire way of putting a target on your back. Rather, cut the box up, save it for storage, or take it directly to a recycling plant, just don’t put it directly outside your home.
Don’t allow the fear of an unsecured home to stop you from taking vacations and making memories away from home. Contact our team at Rivas Techgroup to install a state-of-the-art security system to protect your home and family!
