Burglary

Homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures. Good window locks and strong deadlocks can make a big difference.
Taking just a few steps can make a big difference in keeping your home safe from burglary. Here are a few tips:

• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you’re just out in the garden, remembering to double-lock UPVC doors (lift handle and turn key)
• Hide all keys, including car keys, out of sight and away from the letterbox (remember a device could be used to hook keys through the letterbox)
• Install a visual burglar alarm (as part of a suite of prevention measures – a burglar alarm on its own will not prevent entry to your home)
• Install good outside lighting
• Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property
• Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied
• Make sure the fences around your garden are in good condition
• Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage
• Keep ladders and tools stored away; don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home
• Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property
• Ensure rear fencing is in good repair
• Improve natural surveillance at the front of your property i.e. trim high hedges
• Mark your property with postcode and house number and register your property for free with Immobilise (opens in a new window)
• Consider joining or forming a Neighbourhood Watch scheme (opens in a new window)
• Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows
• Store any high value items (i.e. jewellery, passports) in a properly secured safe or bank vault

Doors and windows

In most burglaries, the criminals broke into the house or flat through the door, either by forcing the lock or kicking it in. So make sure your doors are strong and secure. Consider fitting a bar for extra strength; a locksmith can advise you on how best to do it.

Glass panels on doors are particularly vulnerable. If you have one on your door you could replace it with laminated glass, which is stronger. You can also buy a film in a DIY store that you can stick over the glass to make it harder to break.

Home security and DIY shops sell inexpensive, key-operated locks to fit most kinds of windows. Fit window locks with keys to all downstairs windows and those upstairs that are easy to reach.

Distraction burglary

If you’re not sure who is at your door, don’t open it. Check the identity of the caller by calling the company they are claiming to be from i.e. gas, electricity, water and police. Use the telephone numbers listed in your local directory or provided independently by your service provider – Do not use any telephone numbers provided by the caller – they may be bogus. The ‘Waterboard’ no longer exists, it is an obsolete phrase used only by bogus callers.

Going away on holiday

Make your home look like someone is living in it:

• Use automatic timer-switches to turn your lights and radios on when it goes dark
• Cancel any newspaper or milk deliveries
• Use the Royal Mail’s ‘keepsafe’ service – they keep your mail for up to 2 months while you’re away. Mail sitting on your doorstep is a sign that you are away
• Trusted neighbours may be able to help you by collecting your post, opening and closing curtains and they could park their car on your driveway
• Avoid discussing holiday plans on public social networking sites – burglars can use any information you post on there to their advantage

Link to the article: https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/burglary/

Related articles: https://consumerchoicesecurity.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/the-advantages-of-having-a-home-security-system/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://villaricalocksmith.net/

Back doors of 5 Abilene homes kicked in this week: How to protect your home

by Jillian Grace | Wednesday, November 14th 2018

ABILENE, Texas — Several homes were broken into on two streets on opposite sides of Abilene.
With the holiday’s fast approaching, police are warning residents to be more proactive when it comes to home security.

On Monday, two homes on Legacy Drive in southwest Abilene were broken into.
Police say the burglars knocked on the front door to see if anyone was home. Then they went around back to be less conspicuous and kicked in the back door.

On Tuesday, another home on Legacy Drive was broken into the same exact way.
Police also say thieves also kicked in the back door of homes on Independence Blvd. in northwest Abilene. One was a rental property and was broken into between Saturday and Tuesday.

The other was broken into about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Rick Tomlin with the Abilene Police Department said no suspects have been identified at this time.
Police say there are simple things you can do to keep your home safe, starting with a doorbell camera.

“This technology allows you to answer your doorbell if it rings from wherever you are, whether you’re at work, and you can do that, kinda helps maybe scare somebody off that’s not supposed to be there”, said Tomlin.

The number one thing a homeowner can do is know your neighbors.

“They need to be on the lookout if they live in that area. Watch for anything that’s suspicious, anybody that doesn’t belong there”, said Tomlin.

If you see anything suspicious, call 911 or 325-673-8331.

Tomlin said this is even more important to do during the holidays when its as easy as stealing from your front door.

“Lots of packages, Christmas packages going through the mail, home deliveries, stuff like that. Sometimes crime does increase when the holidays are here,” said Tomlin.

Link to the article: https://ktxs.com/news/abilene/3-homes-on-legacy-dr-broken-into-this-week-police-say-theyre-ways-to-protect-your-home

Related articles: https://towsonareacop.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/how-to-protect-your-home-from-burglaries-thieves-tell-all-today-com/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://villaricalocksmith.net/

How to Protect Your Smart Home From Hackers

Sarah MacReading/Wirecutter

By Rachel Cericola

Ms. Cericola is a Staff Writer at Wirecutter, the product review site owned by The New York Times Company.

March 27, 2019

By connecting smart devices like lights, cameras, door locks and thermostats to the Internet, you may be making them — and you — visible to digital thieves or hackers.

“Every device connected to the Internet is a target,” said Theresa Payton, a former White House chief information officer and the founder and chief executive of Fortalice Solutions. A few recent news stories also illustrate the power these devices have.

One family’s living room Wi-Fi camera was infiltrated, allowing someone to not only control the camera and spy on them, but to broadcast sound — including a false report of a nuclear missile attack. We’ve also seen domestic abusers tap into smart home technology to intimidate and stalk former partners.

According to statistics website Statista, there will be about 42 million smart homes by the end of 2019, but little more than anecdotal evidence of security compromises. So while stories about hacks and privacy breaches are indeed scary, so far they’re also rare. The vast majority of smart home users aren’t getting hacked.

Still, as with any internet-connected device, taking precautions is essential. At Wirecutter, the New York Times company that reviews products, we’ve consulted with a range of experts who offered some tips that will go a long way toward protecting you and your home — and don’t require a lot of time, money or technical know-how. We’ve also done extensive testing of smart home devices and we consider a product’s security measures as part of our evaluation process.

Protect your network

One of the things that makes smart home devices “smart” is their ability to connect to the internet over your home’s Wi-Fi network. That’s why it’s essential that you properly secure it. If you don’t protect your Wi-Fi network with a password, or you only use the default password that came with your modem or router, all of your devices are exposed — the digital equivalent of leaving your front door wide open with a neon welcome sign overhead.

“People need to realize there’s actually catalogs of all those default passwords on the internet,” Ms. Payton said. Lock your network down with a password, one that is unique and not shared with any other accounts you have. Ms. Payton also suggests completely hiding your home network from view, an option in your router’s settings menu. “So when somebody drives by, they think you don’t have internet. They can’t see it,” she said.

You can add another layer of protection by isolating your smart home devices from your computers and smartphones using a guest network, a common option in many popular routers.

“That way, the devices will be sort of quarantined by themselves,” said David Templeton, an information security analyst at The New York Times. Doing this also makes it easier to take devices offline without having to upset your entire network.

Use unique passwords for everything

Many people make the mistake of using the same username and password combination on multiple devices or accounts. If any one of those combinations is discovered — as happens a lot, such as when giant companies like Facebook and Yahoo get hacked — an enterprising thief could try them out on popular banking websites, social networks, email providers and websites that allow control of smart devices.

You need to use unique passwords for everything — including shopping sites you visit, services you use, your home network and of course, each of your smart home devices. Remembering such an encyclopedia of passwords is functionally impossible, which is why Mr. Templeton suggests using a password manager, which not only creates unique passwords automatically but also keeps track of them across all your devices. Wirecutter has suggestions for the best ones to use here.

Stick with reputable brands

All of our security experts agree that it’s best to pick smart devices from established brands. Those companies have a reputation to protect, along with the infrastructure to back it up.

That also means they likely have the ability to employ better security measures when designing their products, and unlike no-name brands or many start-ups, you can reasonably expect them to release software patches and fixes if vulnerabilities are discovered. And naturally, we recommend reading good, high-quality reviews (and admittedly, we’re biased toward our own) before making a purchase.

Secure your devices

There are a few additional ways to further secure your smart devices. A number of companies now offer a verification system to control access to devices, called two-factor authentication. When you attempt to log into an app, a one-time-use code is sent to another of your devices, which then needs to be entered in the original app. It’s not perfect, but makes it virtually impossible for someone unwanted to access your accounts.

Also, many manufacturers allow you to opt into automatic hardware and software updates, something that will ensure the latest fixes get installed to repair new security vulnerabilities. Make sure you check the settings section of your devices’ apps and your smartphone’s app marketplace for updates to devices that don’t automatically do this.

Ms. Payton said she also reboots smart home devices once a week as an added security measure. “That reboot will actually make it grab any new security and privacy settings and downloads when it reconnects to the internet,” she explained. However, this is impractical for some devices, especially ones that are hard-wired into your home like in-wall dimmers and smart thermostats.

Reset before you resell

Just because you’re ready to ditch a device doesn’t mean it’s ready to forget you. After all, your Wi-Fi password and other personal info is often stored on that camera, smart plug or smart bulb. Before selling or recycling any device, be sure to do a factory reset first. Some devices require a button-press on the actual device, while others allow you to do it from the app. Either way, make sure that your info is no longer available through the app.

If a device is broken and you’re unable to wipe it clean, make sure it’s really broken and smash its components to pieces. According to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, “Physical destruction of a device is the ultimate way to prevent others from retrieving your information.”

I like to think about all those times a device stopped working or disconnected from the network, and the idea of whacking it with a hammer. Just make sure you don’t hurt yourself in the process.

Whose responsibility is security?

There is mounting pressure on manufacturers to adopt better security practices. “The industry should be using strong encryption wherever possible, verifying firmware updates and inviting security audits,” said Bennett Cyphers, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The E.F.F. and organizations like The Digital Standard and the Mozilla Foundation are pressuring companies and government bodies to put stronger security practices in place. But everyone we spoke to agrees that, for now, consumers need to be proactive about security.

“Honestly, given where we are and how businesses think about security and privacy, the onus is on you. Nobody can look out for your security and privacy like you can for you and your family,” Ms. Payton said.

Link to the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/smarter-living/wirecutter/how-to-protect-your-smart-home-from-hackers.html

Related articles: https://towsonareacop.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/how-to-protect-your-home-from-burglaries-thieves-tell-all-today-com/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://villaricalocksmith.net/

Here are the top 5 causes of property damage — and how to protect your home

July 30, 2018, 10:05 AM PDT / Source: TODAY

By Julie Pennell

 

While you can only hope that nothing ever goes wrong with your house, it’s important to be prepared for the worst. When a bad storm comes through town or a pipe bursts inside your bathroom, for example, it can create severe and costly damage.

Home insurance is obviously important to have when bad things happen to your house; it’ll help cover the financial hardship when you need to fix or replace something. But there are also a few simple things you can do around the house to help prevent the damage in the first place. And a new report is telling us exactly where we need to focus.

Travelers Insurance just released its Top Five Ways Things Can Go Wrong interactive report, showing the most common and costliest causes of home damage based on an analysis of eight years of claim data. Here are the issues to look out for:

1. Wind

“The most common source or cause of damage is wind-related,” Scott Humphrey, second vice president of risk control at Travelers, told TODAY Home. Gusts can uproot trees, damage roofs or even send things like outdoor tables and chairs flying through windows. “Look around your house and say, ‘What could hit my home?’” he advised. Then take precautions by keeping trees pruned, strengthening structures and taking projectile objects indoors during high wind weather.

2. Nonweather-Related Water

“When you think of water damage, you think weather is the most common, but it’s actually domestic water inside your house,” Humphrey explained. Things like the dishwasher, washing machine and toilets can cause leaks.

“Know where the water sources are and perform routine inspections under sinks,” he said. If your washing machine has a rubber hose, for example, you should check it every year to make sure it’s not wearing out (or consider replacing with a stainless steel one). Also, when you’re away from home for a long period of time, consider turning off the main water valve for peace of mind, he said.

3. Hail

“Hail affects different areas of the country, and you can’t do much to avoid it from striking,” Humphrey said. But if you have car, park it under a carport or garage if possible, and move things susceptible to hail damage, like patio furniture, indoors or under a covered area if you can.

“You can’t pick up your home and move it elsewhere, but you can try to harden it by installing building materials that are more resistant to that type of hazard,” he added.

4. Weather-Related Water

Heavy rain and flooding can do a number on your house, but there are a few things you can do to prevent damage. “Make sure the roof is in good condition and that the shingles aren’t old and worn,” Humphrey said. “Downspouts should direct water away from home, and gutters should be clean.”

If you live in an area that gets really cold temperatures, remove snow accumulation from the roof after every storm and keep outdoor pipes from freezing.

5. Theft

According to the FBI, a burglary occurs every 20 seconds. “What you put around your house could enable or discourage someone from seeing you as a vulnerable target,” Humphrey said. Shrubbery and trees could provide a spot where someone could hide from the street. Also, use motion sensor lights to deter thieves, and keep your doors and windows locked at all times.

What about fire?

While fire didn’t make the top five of the most common things that can go wrong, it’s definitely the most damaging, noted Humphrey. “It’s most devastating, most costly and most disruptive to an individual.” Keep your eye out for frayed wires and avoid using combustible items like oven mitts around open flames. See more fire safety tips here.

Link to the article: https://www.today.com/home/top-5-causes-property-damage-how-protect-your-home-t134498

Related articles: https://northdruidhills.wordpress.com/2019/01/11/2018-resolutions-6-tips-on-how-to-protect-your-property/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://villaricalocksmith.net/